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.

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.