Chitral airport: Court halts construction near runway

The Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) Mingora bench (Darul Qaza) ordered to stop the construction of Deputy Commissioner Rehmatullah Wazir’s house, which falls within the limits of the Chitral Airport runway.

The orders were issued by Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel on Thursday while hearing a review petition filed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) against stay orders issued by a district and sessions judge of the area.

During the hearing, Justice Alam suspended the earlier orders and said the construction was within the danger zone of the Chitral Airport runway and in violation of CAA’s Rule 68, 1994.

The CAA served a legal notice to Wazir on June 11, 2012 for allegedly starting construction 200 feet away from the airport runway. The law states that 750ft on either sides of the runway should always remain clear.

A civil judge later placed a stay on the construction, however, the district and session judge suspended the stay order, permitting Wazir to continue with construction. On January 9, the CAA wrote a letter to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Ghulam Dastagir and asked him to intervene into the matter.

The CAA had threatened to shut down all air operations from Chitral Airport. The aviation authority said Wazir had violated the National Airfield Clearance Police and Federal Land Building Possession Act LIV 1965, which could result in loss of life.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2013.