IHC issues notice to secretary aviation, CAA on complaint from handicapped woman

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued notices to the secretary of aviation and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in a petition filed against discriminatory treatment experienced by a special woman from a private airline company.

The court has ordered the respondents to file a reply within 10 days. Chief Justice (CJ) Aamer Farooq heard the case on Thursday.

Lady Zohra Sami, a resident of Karachi, filed the petition in the IHC, stating that she is a special person who uses a wheelchair for mobility.

She booked a ticket with a private airline from Lahore to Karachi but faced extremely discriminatory treatment from the airline.

The company forbade her from boarding the plane in the absence of a caretaker.In her petition, she stated that no information regarding this policy was available on the airline’s website, causing her to miss her flight. Furthermore, the private airline did not provide any clarification on the matter.

The petition argues that the airline’s treatment constitutes a violation of basic rights enshrined in Articles 9, 14, and 15 of the Constitution. Rule No. 81 of the Civil Aviation Authority grants special individuals the right to decide whether to have a caretaker accompany them.

The petitioner has requested the court to order the CAA to ensure the protection of the basic rights of airline passengers and direct all airlines to provide special training to their staff regarding the treatment of special individuals. The government, CAA, and all airlines have been named as respondents in the petition.