US-bound MPs to be checked

[Abbas Ali]

Two weeks old news item, apparently a step towards making non-stop flights to the US a reality.

Published: Tuesday, 6 June, 2006, 11:38 AM Doha Time
ISLAMABAD: The United States government has told Pakistan’s Airport Security Force (ASF) to make parliamentarians boarding any PIA flight to the United States, 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 remove their belts and other metallic objects 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 part of security measures proposed by the US which has already been 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 says 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 co-operation’ to the Airport Security Force on duty at the airports.

The 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 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 team recently carried out inspections of Pakistan’s three main airports. 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 the ministry letter quoting US TSA team, “When the passenger passes through metal detector gate it is required that the passenger be requested 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 co-operation’ to the ASF staff at the airport while carrying out rechecks including still alarm resolution. - Internews

Source: Gulf Times

[Amaad Lone]

Not just MPs, but should also be:

Armed forces people, including generals, air marshals, admirals, etc etc.
Senators
Ministers, federal and provincial.
High ranking police officials.

Who knows the american danda might help in curbing the VVIP culture plaguing this country since its birth.

The hindu lala was replaced by a muslim one in 1947, and the story continues.

[PakN'US]

Amaad, I could not agree with you more.
This should just be the start of eradicating the VIP culture from Pakistan. I am not sure if this would be successful or not but we got to start from somewhere.
The next stop should be the traffic in Pakistan. I have a suggestion: Any VIP found guilty of this crime, should be flogged in public. Let's start with the Minister who slapped an ASF person at Karachi airport

[Moin]

Boy isn't that going to bruise some ego's.

[SENIOR]

The only people exempt from security search i.e. frisking/passing through the metal detector are -
The President and his Wife.
The Prime Minister and his Wife.
There are and should be no exceptions to this rule.
Its the only thing that needs to be drilled into the culture of Pakistan if the National carrier is to obtain non-stop flights to the U.S.
Since that is not going to happen overnight PIA passengers are going to have to put up with the MAN transit marathon until this changes.