Loading article…
The Airports Security Force (ASF) (Urdu: ہوائی اڈوں کا محافظ دستہ)[2] is a federal security agency under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence which is responsible for protecting the airports, facilities and the aircraft (on-ground or in-air) in Pakistan. ASF safeguards the civil aviation industry against unlawful interferences, adopting counter terrorism measures, preventing crime and maintaining law and order within the limits of airports in Pakistan.
The current Director General of ASF is Major General Shoaib Bin Akram HI(M).[3] The ASF is a 14,560-personnel organisation.[4]
The ASF was established in 1976 under the Airports Security Force Act LXXVII of 1975 initially as the Directorate of the Department of Civil Aviation. After the hijacking of Pakistan International AirlinesFlight 326 in March 1981, sensing the contradictory requirements of security and facilitation, the Airports Security Force (ASF) was separated, and in December 1983, was placed under the folds of the Ministry of Defence.[5][6]
Later, in 2013 under the umbrella of Cabinet Secretariat, an Aviation Division was created and Airports Security Force (ASF), Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) came under the control of new division. The Aviation Division is headed by the Aviation Secretary of Pakistan. The ASF is mainly responsible for security of airports and aircraft.[7]
Since inception, ASF has always been headed by officers of Pakistan Armed Forces. Currently Major General ranked officers of Pakistan army heads organization for a term of three years.[8]