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Saudi official had refused body search, violated laws: Initial report
Report says Colonel Sukhari pushed ASF officials at the airport after refusing body search, claiming to be a diplomat.
Report says Colonel Sukhari pushed ASF officials after refusing a body search at Benazir Bhutto International Airport. PHOTO: ONLINE/ FILE
RAWALPINDI: An initial inquiry report into an incident involving a Saudi official and the Airport Security Force (ASF) at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport, has revealed that an altercation took place after the official refused a body search, Express News reported.
According to sources, Colonel Sukhari, a military attaché at the Saudi embassy, started pushing the Airport Security Force (ASF) officials after refusing a security check involving a body search. Sukhari received bruises when the chain of an ASF official’s wrist watch scratched him during the scuffle.
ASF rules clearly mention that only heads of diplomatic missions and counsel generals are exempted from the body search owing to diplomatic immunity guaranteed under the Vienna accords. The Director-General ASF said that the officials have the right to take action if rules are not followed, however, he noted that officers on duty should have informed the higher authorities when the scuffle broke out.
According to ASF officials, Colonel Sukhari, who was meant to fly out to Riyadh, had refused to get a routine body check, instead he started quarreling with the security personnel present at the airport. The ASF officials said that the military attaché insisted that he was not subject to a body search because he was a diplomat.
While speaking to the media at the airport after being given first aid, the colonel had denied starting the fight and claimed that the security staff misbehaved with him and his son.
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US and Saudis done…Now only Somalians are left to have this Raymond Davis type diplomatic immunity.
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Should’ve thrown this ‘Sukhari’ in jail. Would’ve taught him a lesson for calling us his “servants.”
Regards,
Rehan
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“Sukhari received bruises when the chain of an ASF official’s wrist watch scratched him during the scuffle.”
Umm..look at the guy’s condition! What was the official’s wrist watch made of? Acid-drenched razor blades?
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Miskeens showing their colors and also their eyes. Is this not how they treat poor expartriats at their airports?
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Are Pakistani Army officers also exempted from body search at airports?
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@Maak:
no they aren’t
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This man deserved what he got, Salute to bravery of ASF officialsRecommend
Maak,
Absolutely not! (wink)
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Colonel has got personality :p
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@Maak
The question is, Are Pakistani Officials exempted from body search at airports around the world?
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Pakistanis are treated much much worse in Saudi Arabia..they are beaten to death and their heads are chopes off for a simple things and treated like slaves in saudi arabia…..Recommend
The aggressor looked a bit dishevelled, he thought he was the law because he is richer than ASF personnel doing their job at the Airport. Aren’t Saudi army officers supposed to be educated, or the education made worst out of him!
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Why the long face Mr. Colonel?
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An,example of violent intolerant Pakistani society
A guest should be treated with respect
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what if this situation was the opposite!! pakistani in Saudi airport no one will notice!
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@Pakistan politics: Well he got personality but he misjudged one thing. When he was told that Sir since you misbehaved with ASF so you have to visit the drawing room he thought that ASF is going to give him huge tributes and salutes but Pakistani People know what is meant by Drawing Room in Police circles and then he really got personality after visiting Drawing Room.
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If my memory serve me right not long ago a delegation of Pakistani PM’s returned from US after refusing search. So now the shoe is on the other foot and it hurts.
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What on earth happened here???? Wheres basic decency????
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So much so for brotherly countries. Where are the Ghairat brigades now who never tire of stating what great esteem Pakistanis are held with in the muslim world? One by one the entire house of lies is coming down. There is still some time left for course correction. Do it before it’s too late. The bums don’t buy a nation respect.
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ASF has done nothing that a Pakistani should be proud of. They should treat foreigners as well as local ethically with respect and as per law. They should have arrested him if he was refusing to comply with security protocols.
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Are Pakistani Army officers also exempted from body search at airports?”
Absolutely not! (wink)ll
How do u know , I have heard they dont let ASF search them by telling them that are Army officers. Is it true?
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ASF thanks for an impartial inquiry. Otherwise no ASF guy would dare touch those who simply claimed diplomatic immunityRecommend
How can you do this to a guy from the land of Bin Qasim, the first Pakistani?? Not good. Not good at all!
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Lol he deserves it… These gulf states treat the expats from south asia like dirt!
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If only the same treatment was meted out to ” everybody loves Raymond”…
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Being uncivilized and discourteous to our guests is nothing to be proud of. This incidence is a disgrace.
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what is discourteous about this? did you not attend school and learn that rules are rules? whats the big deal about a pat down? takes 30 seconds. nothing but arrogance. he will know how to listen to security staff next time.
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I have never understood why we have stood by Saudi Arabia. Recommend
when we visit USA (not KSA or UAE) , the customs officer’s ask us politely , if they want to body search, or inspect luggage, ASF and CAA should give training classes to show maximum possible politeness and behave as much respectful as possible, and that’s what Islam teaches , normally our security personnel are too rowdy , in every department
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“”"An,example of violent intolerant Pakistani society
A guest should be treated with respect”"”…..
Are we given the same respect when we go to Europe??…and army officers….they definitely go through body search…..
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Matter was mishandled, instead of beating or fighting, issue should have been elevated to Higher Officials and Saudi Embassy.
Actions like these show general psyche of a nation i.e. if something is not happening our way, let us beat the heel out of the opponent.
As far as Saudi Guy is concern he showed his national character … i.e. arrogance!
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@S. Zafar
“Being uncivilized and discourteous to our guests is nothing to be proud of. This incidence is a disgrace.”
So you don’t mind your fellow citizens being collectively called as “servant class” by this Bin Qasim relative?
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however, he noted that officers on duty should have informed the higher authorities when the scuffle broke out.
so that the higher ups could have sucked up to the Saudi? ASF did the right thing.
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I cant look at the picture. How can one guy do that to someone else. And no one even came to save the Pakistani man?
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all Pakistanis and indians are treated as human beings all over the world accept in middle east where they are shown contempt disrespect and have no protection of lawRecommend
@Maak:
There is an difference between beeing from army and beeing a Military or Defence Attaché in an embassy. While working in a embassy you are a diplomat and therefor exempted from certin things….
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I am sure there must be many CCTVs focussed around the place of this unfortunate
incident which once scrutinised will bring the truth to surface.Even if the Saudi passenger
or any other passenger refuses to body search the ASF can refuse entry or arrest the
person but under no circumstances brutalise.
The wounds inflicted on the Saudi diplomatic staff appears serious and will create bad
feelings across the board unless those responsible are brought to book and justice
served.
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Salute to the brave ASF official … he was only following the rules and when confronted he gave a matching response. Hats off to him.
Secondly to all the people no Army official is exempted from body search at the airport. Only person who are exempted from body searches are Parliamentarians whose protocol staff is always there to make arrangements :)
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Not good incident……as of my personal experience….at Saudi airports they won’t touch unless metal detectors beep……but here in Pakistan…..security staff search u bodily…even metal detectors say…..u r clean…..
Once i asked that ASF guy….why he is searching me bodily….it makes u embarrassed…..he replied for Plastic weapons or drugs but with smile….i don’t think ASF staff is rude….they are just doing their job…..
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Few years back I witness a seen at Karachi airport. One minster was travelling with his son. Minster passed through with his Chamchas. Some how his son was stopped by a security guy What happen to this security man anybody’s guess.
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I wonder how it feels to this Saudi to be beaten up by the “servant class” as he put it?
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@Its (still) Economy Stupid
Good recollection, but public memory (more so when selective) is short.
@Pollack
‘Bin Qasim relative’. Ha….haa…haaa.You made my day.
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When u live in a land, u obey its rules.Thats what civilized, read CIVILIZED people do. How many of u can refuse a body search at JFK or any other international airport.None i bet. Yes the guy shouldnt have been beaten up the way it seems, but he must have given the body search or called his superiors for clarification. And all those who think Army wallas are exempt from body searches, think again.
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Great to see so many odf us standin gbehind our ASF!!! they did it right. I have had the opportunity to have been abused as a Pakistani at Jeddah airport. My colleagues who were also returning by the Haj flight of Saudi airlines, made a lot of noise, when the senior saudi official came over, but, he did nort apologise for his Saudi colleague using a foul language against Pakistanis. Bravo ASF!!!Recommend
@Maak:
No. they r not, when not in uniform!!! have seen it with my own eyes at various airports in the country.
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Kudos to the ASF official. That should show the Saudis to try and lord it over Pakistanis.
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ASF is very polite normally. But Saudis are not Recommend