The Airports Security Force (ASF) () is a federal

airport security force Airport security includes the techniques and methods used in an attempt to protect passengers, staff, aircraft, and airport property from malicious harm, crime, terrorism, and other threats. Aviation security is a combination of measures and hum ...

agency under the administrative control of the Secretary to the Government of Pakistan for Defense which is responsible for protecting the airports, facilities and the aircraft (on-ground or in-air) in Pakistan. ASF safeguards the

civil aviation Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military and non-state aviation, which can be both private and commercial. Most countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and ...

industry against unlawful interferences, adopting

counter terrorism Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and intelligence agencies use to com ...

measures, preventing crime and maintaining law and order within the limits of airports in Pakistan. The current Director General of ASF is Major General Adnan Asif Jah Shad HI(M). The ASF is a 14,560-personnel organisation.

History

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 Airlines Pakistan International Airlines, commonly known as PIA, is the flag carrier of Pakistan. With its primary hub at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, the airline also operates from its secondary hubs at Allama Iqbal International Airport ...

Flight 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. Later, in 2013 under the umbrella of Cabinet Secretariat, an Aviation Division was created and Airports Security Force (ASF),

Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) () is a state-owned autonomous body under the administrative control of the Secretary to the Government of Pakistan for Aviation, which oversees and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in Pakistan. ...

(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 Aviation Secretary of Pakistan () is the Federal Secretary for the Aviation Division. The position holder is a BPS-22 grade officer, usually belonging to the Pakistan Administrative Service. The position of Secretary of Aviation is considere ...

. The ASF is mainly responsible for security of

airports An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface such ...

and aircraft.

Subsidiaries

*ASF Schools and Colleges *ASF Medical Centres *ASF Land and Housing *ASF Security Pvt Ltd

Directors General (Former Force Commanders)

Since inception, ASF has always been headed by officers of

Pakistan Armed Forces The Pakistan Armed Forces (; ) are the military forces of Pakistan. It is the world's sixth-largest military measured by active military personnel and consists of three uniformed services—the Army, Navy, and the Air Force, which are backe ...

. Currently Major General ranked officers of Pakistan army heads organization for a term of three years.

Ranks

;Officers ;Enlisted

References

External links