Grounded Shaheen Boeing 737-200s at Karachi Airport Declared Security Risk by ASF

[Abbas Ali]

According to DAWN News channel, twelve grounded and abandoned Shaheen Air Boeing 737-200 at Karachi Airport have been declared as security risk by Airports Security Force (ASF).

Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in a letter to Shaheen Air has asked for disposal/removal of the aircraft in next fifteen days.

There's a dispute between Shaheen and Pakistan Customs over non-payment of taxes/duties related to import of these aircraft by the airline.

Abbas

[Abbas Ali]

These twelve Shaheen Air Boeing 737-200s were registered in Pakistan as:

AP-BHA
AP-BHB
AP-BHC
AP-BIK
AP-BIP
AP-BIQ
AP-BIR
AP-BIS
AP-BIT
AP-BIU
AP-BJH
AP-BJI

On following link is July 2015 photo that shows at least eleven grounded & abandoned Shaheen Air Boeing 737-200s at Karachi Airport.

http://www.airteamimages.com/boeing-737 ... large.html

Maybe ASF feels these 737 airframes can be used by terrorists/miscreants for hiding themselves or for storing/hiding ammunition/weapons for terrorist activity.

These aircraft were seized by Pakistan Customs when Shaheen Air tried to scrap & sell them without clearing aircraft import duties/taxes, according to some news sources.

Abbas

[uzairali]

why doesn't shaheen pay the duties?

The longer they delay it, the more the value falls on these crafts.

And even if shaheen thinks to just let it sit there and duties will go away, no they can't and in future will cause problem again.

[raihans]

if coordination between Pakistan Customs and Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority work perfectly, then PCAA should not issue the airworthiness certificate for any such aircraft which is due for Customs liabilities until PC issues clearance, why it didn't work in first place when these Boeing 737-200s were acquired, either both departments were not coordinating with each other

now, when ASF has declared them as security risks, Pakistan Customs should approach court and with permission from court, while coordinating with Civil Aviation Authority, dispose these airframes to recover the customs dues on Shaheen Air.

And if IAMC is interested in any of these air frames, the payments shall be made to Pakistan Customs rather than to Shaheen Air for recovery of pending dues