The alleged mistreatment of passengers at airports by Airports Security Force (ASF) personnel drew concern from a Senate committee on Wednesday, which directed that the official concerned be summoned to its next meeting. The Senate Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges, chaired by Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi, also asked for professional training for airport personnel so that passengers are treated respectfully and courteously.
The Privilege Motion Before the Committee
The committee met in Islamabad to consider several privilege motions. Among them was one moved by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri over the alleged inappropriate conduct of ASF personnel when scanning parliamentarians and passengers at Karachi’s airport, according to Dawn. The committee reviewed the response it had received to an inquiry report it had sought last month. Mehdi told members that the reply included a report stating the official concerned had been transferred from his previous posting to another location.
Senators Jan Muhammad, Dost Ali Jaisar, Saadia Abbasi, Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan, Bushra Anjum Butt and Zehri attended, along with senior officials.
Senators Question the Legal Basis for Searches
Zehri, a Balochistan Awami Party senator, expressed serious concern over the alleged rude behaviour and stressed that passengers must be treated with dignity and respect. She asked which legal provisions empower the authorities to search passengers’ belongings, maintaining that such searches should be conducted only when security considerations require them and strictly in accordance with the law. She also noted that the initial response had maintained that all actions were taken lawfully, while later information indicated the official had been transferred. In her view, the official should be summoned to present his position and explain the legal authority for his actions.
Senator Saadia Abbasi said the issue was not confined to parliamentarians but also affected ordinary citizens. She observed that misuse of authority and inappropriate searches of passengers’ belongings could create a negative public perception of elected representatives.
The Incident Behind the Complaint
The motion arises from a check-in for Emirates flight EK-601 on July 24, which the committee first took up at its meeting on September 11. Zehri told the committee that while she was travelling to London, an ASF official searched her hand-carry bag and questioned her about the cash she was carrying. She said she offered to go to a side office to count the foreign currency as per procedure, but the official instead opened her bag at the desk, where three other bags were already open for inspection.
At that earlier meeting, a senior ASF officer expressed regret and apologised, assuring the committee that the matter would be taken up with the relevant authorities and Pakistan Customs, according to a Senate press release. The committee recommended appropriate training for ASF personnel in dealing with the public and directed that an inquiry be completed within 15 days and that the officer found responsible be produced before the next meeting. The allegations are those of the senator, and the reports reviewed do not carry a detailed account from the official concerned.
Training Directed for Airport Personnel for Alleged Mistreatment of Passengers at Airports
On Wednesday, the chairman directed that the official concerned and other relevant officers be summoned to the next meeting. He also instructed the authorities to arrange professional training for airport personnel, so that passengers are dealt with in a courteous and professional manner. The reports did not state the date of the next meeting.
Other Business Before the Committee
The same session considered other privilege motions. The committee formed a sub-committee to examine a motion by Senator Butt concerning the vice chancellor of the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design, with Senator Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan as convener. It also directed an unannounced visit to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and deferred a motion against the communications minister after receiving no reply to its letter.
What Comes Next
The next meeting will show whether the ASF can point to a legal basis for the searches complained of, a question the senators have said remains unanswered. Until then, the alleged mistreatment of passengers at airports remains a matter before the Senate committee, with the transfer of the official and the promise of staff training the only steps reported so far.
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