KARACHI:
A trained dog belonging to the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) was mistakenly shot dead by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) bird shooters at Karachi airport. The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday around 3am.
The bird shooters, mistaking the dog for a stray, fired at the animal after the captain of an approaching aircraft alerted the control tower to its presence near the runway.
Sources indicate that the dog, used for drug detection and tracking, wandered into the parking area after its cage was accidentally left open.
A spokesperson for the airport authority stated that the airside team at Jinnah Terminal responded after the control tower informed them of the dog’s presence during aircraft parking. The ANF dog was shot in the airside area as a last resort.
The spokesperson added that the airside team attempted to capture the dog, but it was shot to prevent it from running towards the taxiway and runway.
Karachi Airport management has initiated an investigation into the incident.
