Pakistan’s name must be removed from full body scanning list: Haqqani
By ANISunday, March 14, 2010
WASHINGTON - Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Hussain Haqqani has urged the Obama Administration to remove Islamabad’s name from the list of country’s whose citizens have to go through full body scanning at American airports.
During a meeting with US Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary of Policy David Heyman, Haqqani said being an important ally of the US, Pakistani citizens must be shown due respect.
“Pakistan being an important ally of the US, the people of Pakistan are very sensitive to the discriminatory procedures of scanning at American airports,” The Daily Times quoted Haqqani, as saying.
Just few days ago, a delegation of Pakistan’s National Assembly and Senate had returned home after its members refused to under go body scanning at a US airport.
The delegation headed by Senator Abbas Khan Afridi refused body scanning at the Dulles International Airport, saying it was an ‘insult’ to parliamentarians of a sovereign country.
Afridi said they were informed before their arrival in the US that they would not face any such discrimination during their visit.
The delegation had reached the US on February 28 for a 15-day visit.
It may be noted that Pakistan’s name is in the list of 14 countries, whose citizens have to go for full body screening before boarding a plane to the US.
Under new rules, all citizens of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen must receive a pat down and an extra check of their carry-on bags before boarding a plane bound for America. (ANI)
