PM Imran suspends Islamabad airport officials over manhandling passengers

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Imran Wednesday taking notice of a scuffle between Airports Security Force (ASF) personnel and passengers at the Islamabad airport suspended multiple officials. 

The prime minister in a statement said the ASF officials manhandled the passengers, adding that the aggravated situation was not handled by the personnel in a professional manner.

Airport manager Tahir Sikandar, Duty Terminal Managers Zahoor and Malik Akram, PIA station Manager Pervaiz Nasir and his team have been suspended till the inquiry is completed in the case. 

A board of inquiry has been established with Brigadier Irfan Zafar as its head. The board has been directed to start disciplinary proceedings against the ASF officials under the army act. It has been directed to submit a report within 10 days. 

Earlier in this month, a video of the scuffle emerged showing passengers and ASF staffers physically assaulting each other, using abusive language.

A furious ASF official can then be seen spitting at a passenger before throwing a chair at him.

The incident occurred on October 18 when a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight – PK-728 from Jeddah to Peshawar – was forced to land at the New Islamabad International Airport due to bad weather.

The passengers went enraged when the PIA officials failed to give them any food or refreshments for over an hour.

The angry passenger then started a protest, damaging the property of the airport. At that time, the ASF personnel were asked to control the situation but it turned violent when the officials showed unprofessional behaviour.