Daily Times

Pakistan’s aviation secretary recently ordered an inquiry into an incident in which an Airport Security Force (ASF) official cut a Hajj woman pilgrim’s hair over some suspicion, a notification from the ministry said, adding that the probe would ascertain whether the action was taken in line with established protocols or if he transgressed his authority.

As per a notification shared by the official of the aviation ministry, the security team’s officials stopped a family comprising Ms. Seema Bano and her husband Muhammad Shafi Ahmed on June 1, to search them at the international departure at the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.

The notification said Bano’s hair was cut by ASF officials after an ASF staffer raised suspicion about it, despite the fact that she received clearance from the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF). The inquiry order did not specify what suspicion the ASF official harbored. “After scanning she was cleared to board,” the inquiry order dated June 1 read. “Therefore, it is considered necessary to inquire into this matter to ascertain facts of the incident and fix responsibility.”

It said the aviation secretary has constituted a four-member Board of Inquiry (BoI) led by Khurram Shehzad Warraich, the deputy secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, to probe the matter. M. Arsalan Khan, a section officer at the Ministry of Aviation, Wing Cdre. (retd) Jamal from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and Khalid Hussain, deputy director of Appeals and Regulations at the ASF, are other members of the board.

The inquiry order said the BoI’s terms of reference would include investigating and ascertaining facts of the case and examining established procedures and protocols for passenger screening at airports.

“To examine responsibilities of government entities working at the airport associated with passenger screening and scanning,” it said, adding that the inquiry would also determine whether the action taken by the ASF officials was in line with established protocols or if they transgressed their authority.

It said the BoI would finalize its report within two working days and submit a report to the secretary aviation.