US government demands Pakistani MPs on US bound flights be frisked

ASF to check US-bound MPs at airports

By Rauf Klasra ISLAMABAD: US government has told the Airport Security Forces (ASF) of Pakistan in clear words to make Pakistani parliamentarians boarding any PIA direct flight to Washington, pass through the metal detectors at three major airports after stripping them of their belts, wrist watches and mobile phones. A Defence Ministry official said that if these instructions were not followed in letter and spirit, there was a serious possibility that PIA might land in trouble and may be stopped from operating between the US and Pakistan. He confirmed that ASF has been asked to carry out the checks of MPs before boarding plane in the light of instructions from the US administration. This is the first time in Pakistan that MPs would be asked by ASF officials to strip off their belts and other metallic substance before passing through the metal detectors at Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad airports or they would not be allowed to take a flight to the US. As a part of the regime of security measures proposed by the US which is already introduced at all the airports of America after 9/11, Pakistani MPs would also be subjected to ‘rechecks including still alarm resolution.’ The Ministry of Defence told The News that after deliberating upon the ‘matter’ it has been considered expedient that these instructions given by Americans be brought to the notice of MPs to extend ‘full cooperation’ to the Airport Security Force on duty at the airports. The concerned officials of the Senate and the National Assembly informed that instructions received from ministry of defence through letter No 11-27/2005-asf issued by joint secretary MOD Shahidullah Baig have been conveyed to the members of parliament for compliance of new regime of security checks. In the light of the instructions, the ASF at Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi has been given sweeping powers to subject the parliamentarians to strict security check before allowing them to board the plane. Earlier, a US Transport Security Agency (TSA) team recently carried out inspections of Pakistan’s three main airports after PIA started direct flights to Washington and other cities of the US. The team found many lapses in the security regime and recommended that Pakistan should improve the security standard in certain areas in accordance with standards of the international civil aviation authority. According to MoD letter quoting US TSA team, ‘Requirement is that when the passenger passes through metal detector gate and it alarms then it is required to be resolved by requesting the passenger to remove all metallic material carried on his person including watch, mobile and belt etc.’ The defence ministry in its letter to the parliamentarians has said that the government is left with no option but to follow these instructions and that they all should extend ‘full cooperation’ to the ASF staff at the airport while carrying out rechecks including still alarm resolution.