Airport scuffle: FIA to quiz official who filmed torture episode

Move can put the official in hot water for breach of SOPs.

ISLAMABAD: In an interesting turn of events, the investigation authorities have now started questioning the official who filmed the scuffle between the two lady passengers and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport Islamabad.

The move can put the official in hot water for breach of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), as phones are not allowed in the immigration area.
According to FIA sources, “The official will be questioned over the motive – good or bad – of filming the scuffle episode,” adding, “By any standards, he violated the set SOPs and breached privacy-related issues.”



Furthermore, an interim report was also submitted to the Supreme Court on Thursday over the FIA’s new investigation over the official who filmed the scuffle. The three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by the chief justice also sought a complete record of the departmental inquiry into the case.

The chief justice termed the torturing of the women a sad incident and issued directives to the authorities to control such incidents in the future. The hearing has been adjourned for three weeks.

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar took a suo moto notice on April 19 after a video of the assault on the two passengers at the Islamabad airport went viral. According to the agency’s initial report to the apex court, FIA’s female staff tortured two women at Benazir Bhutto International Airport following a verbal spat on April 15.



Mother and daughter, Fozia Umar and Haseena Begum who were scheduled to leave for Oslo on a PIA flight, had a scuffle with the FIA officials over the absence of tissues in the restroom, according to the initial report.

An inquiry team led by FIA Director Mazharul Haq Kakakhel was also constituted afterwards to ascertain responsibility. The team led to the dismissal of junior constable Ghazala Shaheen over her involvement in the scuffle.  Two other officials were also held responsible; however, all the accused are currently on bail. The case is registered with a police station in Rawalpindi.

Meanwhile, on April 21 the FIA removed the women from a Qatar Airways flight from the Peshawar airport after it emerged they had been nominated in an FIR lodged in Islamabad. However, they were later allowed to fly back to Norway.