Section 144 sought against drones on Islamabad airport's flight path.

RAWALPINDI -- In order to avoid any untoward incident, the commissioner of Rawalpindi division has requested the Punjab government to impose Section 144 banning drone activities in the funnel area falling within the approach path of flights to Islamabad International Airport (IIA).

On the other hand, Regional Police Officer (RPO) Nasir Mehmood Satti directed the city police officer (CPO) Rawalpindi and the district police officer (DPO) of Attock - as part of the airport falls in the limit of Attock - to launch an operation against anyone found involved in drone activities.

The airport's management had earlier asked the police and the district administration of Rawalpindi to ban drone activities. The directives were issued after a UN aircraft from Kabul to Islamabad came across a drone flying at about 3,400 feet and eight nautical miles from the runway of IIA on Jan 16, 2023.

According to the airport management, the area where the drone was flying had been identified to be Bahria Town Phase VIII in Rawalpindi.

In a letter to the Punjab Home Department, the commissioner Rawalpindi stated that it had been conveyed to him by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) that laser light incidents were among the foremost flight safety hazards for civil aviation operations as these posed serious risks to pilot's eyes, hence endangering flight safety especially during critical phase of landing and take-off.

The district administration requested the Punjab government to allow them to impose Section 144 prohibiting drone activities in the funnel areas falling within the approach path of flights to avoid any untoward incident.

When contacted, Rawalpindi Commissioner Saqib Mannan told Dawn that a request...