April 8, 2006	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 9, 1427

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RAWALPINDI, April 7: An inquiry into the manhandling of a Pakistani origin British passenger by an FIA immigration official has held the in charge immigration guilty. As per information, Safia Begum and her son, Nadeem Akram, arrived at Islamabad International Airport from Birmingham by PK- 785 on March 27 when they were mistreated by the immigration officials.

On reaching the immigration counter, the woman found a long queue and tried to move towards another counter to collect her baggage as her son was still in the queue to get their passports stamped.

According to the immigration sources, an immigration official, Mr Zaheer, asked her to produce her stamped passport. Though she told him that her passport was with her son, who was standing in the queue, the official was not convinced.

The source said that when the official again intercepted the woman, she slapped him. In return, shift in charge SI Mr Iyaz intervened and pushed the lady away.

Seeing his mother in trouble, Nadeem Akram rushed to her rescue that led to a brawl between the immigration officials and her son at the international arrival lounge.

Shift in charge Sub-Inspector Iyaz of FIA Immigration also intervened but failed to handle the situation, the source said. However, later senior officials solved the matter.

When the incident came into the knowledge of FIA Director- General Tariq Pervez, he ordered an inquiry into the incident and appointed Assistant Director Immigration airport Omar Hayat as inquiry officer.

Based on the evidences and statements of the FIA staff on duty at that time and other security officials, the inquiry report was sent to Tariq Pervez.

When this reporter contacted him, the FIA DG admitted that he had received the report but refused to give the details of the inquiry report.

However, a source said that it had been mentioned in the inquiry that Safia Begum had not violated any immigration rules and she had slapped the FIA official when he asked her to get her photographed on the security camera.

“Being shift in charge, SI Iyaz should have handled the situation properly but he failed to do so,” the source said and added: “Mr Iyaz pushed the woman away though he must have called a lady officer to handle the situation.”

Assistant Director-General Tariq Khosa said: “Conduct unbecoming has been established in the inquiry conducted by Omer Hayat, AD Immigration Islamabad airport.” He said that departmental action was being taken against Mr Iyaz.