KARACHI: A woman Hajj pilgrim’s hair was cut by Airport Security Force (ASF) officials in Karachi after an ASF member expressed suspicion about it.
The Civil Aviation Secretary has ordered an inquiry into the incident, where an ASF official cut a female Hajj pilgrim’s hair over some suspicion, a notification from the ministry said. The probe aims to determine whether the action was in line with established protocols or if the official overstepped his authority.
According to the notification shared by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Ministry, the security team stopped a family, including Ms. Seema Bano and her husband Muhammad Shafi Ahmed, on June 1 for a search at the international departure section of Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.
The notification stated that Bano’s hair was cut by ASF officials after an ASF staff member raised suspicion about it, despite her receiving clearance from the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF). The inquiry order did not specify the nature of the suspicion held by the ASF official.
“After scanning, she was cleared to board,” the inquiry order dated June 1 read. “Therefore, it is necessary to inquire into this matter to ascertain the facts and fix responsibility.”
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. Other members of the board include M. Arsalan Khan, a section officer at the Ministry of Aviation, Wing Commander (retd) Jamal from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, and Khalid Hussain, deputy director of Appeals and Regulations at the ASF.
The inquiry order stated that the BoI’s terms of reference would include investigating the facts of the case and examining established procedures and protocols for passenger screening at airports.
“To examine the 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 ASF officials’ actions were in line with established protocols or if they overstepped their authority.
The BoI is expected to finalize its report within two working days and submit it to the aviation secretary.
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