KARACHI: Five officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) were suspended on Saturday as higher authorities took notice of beating of an allegedly drunk passenger at the airport whose video has gone viral on social media, officials said.

The passenger had allegedly misbehaved with other passengers, including a woman, at the airport, claimed FIA officials. The incident occurred on Wednesday.

FIA’s Sindh director Munir Ahmed Shaikh suspended the five FIA officials — Mohammad Ismail, Shoukat Ali, Nasir Ali, Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Sher Mohammad Magsi — for mercilessly beating up the unarmed passenger. Following their suspension, FIA additional director at airport Mohammad Younis Chandio immediately relieved the FIA officers with the direction to report at their new place of posting.

Meanwhile, an inquiry into the incident was initiated by the FIA. FIA sources familiar with the preliminary probe into the incident told Dawn that on July 25 at around 0230 hours a male passenger of Qatar Airline (flight QR-604), arrived from Doha at Jinnah Terminal.

He was standing in a queue at the immigration counter with other passengers when he allegedly used “abusive language” against some passengers. He also “physically attacked” the shift in-charge, FIA inspector Muzammil Jatoi.

It prompted four FIA men to pounce on him, as is clear in the video. A fifth uniformed man came rushing and wrestled the hapless passenger to the ground and then all the five pulled him into the FIA office.

They called the doctor to examine the passenger. The doctor confirmed that he had “taken alcohol”, according to contents of the preliminary report into the incident.

Later the FIA personnel handed over the passenger to the police concerned for necessary legal action.

A senior FIA official, who wished not to be named, told Dawn that higher authorities observed that the conduct of the FIA officials was not “justified” as they were seen beating up the man in the video, which went viral on social media, and decided to take action against the suspects.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2018