The Senate Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges has decided to summon an Airport Security Force (ASF) official and other relevant officers over allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards passengers at airports.
The committee met in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi to examine several privilege motions. Senators Jan Muhammad, Dost Ali Jaisar, Saadia Abbasi, Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan, Bushra Anjum Butt and Samina Mumtaz Zehri, along with senior officials, attended the meeting.
During the proceedings, the committee reviewed a response to an inquiry report sought last month regarding a privilege motion submitted by Senator Zehri over the alleged misconduct of ASF personnel.
The chairman informed members that the committee had received a response along with an inquiry report indicating that the official concerned had been transferred from his previous posting to another location.
Senator Saadia Abbasi stressed that the issue extended beyond parliamentarians and affected ordinary citizens as well. She observed that the alleged misuse of authority and inappropriate searches of passengers’ belongings could undermine public confidence in elected representatives and state institutions.
Senator Zehri voiced serious concern over the alleged rude conduct of ASF personnel, emphasising that passengers must be treated with dignity and respect. She also questioned the legal basis for searching passengers’ belongings, maintaining that such checks should be conducted only when required for security purposes and strictly in accordance with the law.
The Balochistan Awami Party senator noted that the initial response had maintained that the actions were lawful, while subsequent information indicated that the official had been transferred.
She called for the officer to appear before the committee and explain the legal authority under which the searches had been conducted.
The chairman directed the relevant official and other concerned officers to attend the next meeting. He also instructed the authorities to arrange professional training for airport personnel to ensure that passengers were treated courteously and handled in a professional manner.
The committee had previously taken up Zehri’s privilege motion on September 11 concerning the alleged misbehaviour of ASF officials during check-in for Emirates flight EK-601 on July 24.
Zehri told the committee that while travelling to London, an ASF official searched her hand-carry bag and questioned her about the cash she was carrying.
She said she had offered to move to a separate office to count the foreign currency in accordance with the prescribed procedure. However, the official allegedly opened her bag at the counter, where three other bags were already open for inspection.
At the time, the committee had directed that the inquiry be completed within 15 days and that the officer found responsible be presented before the next meeting.
The committee also considered a privilege motion moved by Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, against Hina Tayyaba Khalil, vice chancellor of the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD), and two other individuals.
In the motion, Butt alleged that the conduct of the vice chancellor in connection with proceedings concerning PIFD had breached her privileges, as well as those of the Senate and its standing committee.
The motion stated that Khalil’s contractual tenure had expired in December 2025, but she had continued to hold the position.
According to the motion, the Senate education committee had been examining matters related to PIFD and had required the vice chancellor to appear before it. However, she failed to attend, prompting concerns about her conduct and its implications for the authority and privileges of the Senate and its committee.
The committee also expressed displeasure over the absence of Federal Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and the secretary of his ministry.
Senator Mehdi said the officials should have formally informed the committee in writing about their inability to attend. He also recalled that Senate members associated with the university had previously been invited to participate in a meeting through Zoom but had failed to join.
The chairman directed that show-cause notices be issued to the absent members.
During the discussion, Senator Zehri sought an update on an inquiry assigned to Saleh Farooqi as the inquiry officer.
Senator Butt raised concerns about the inquiry process, alleging that teachers summoned at her request had faced pressure. She maintained that, in her capacity as chairperson of the Senate standing committee on education, she had acted as a facilitator by forwarding complaints to the relevant authorities.
Senator Abbasi informed the committee that the inquiry committee was expected to reach a decision the following day.
Following deliberations, the chairman ordered the formation of a subcommittee to conduct a comprehensive examination of the matter and summon 13 individuals connected to the case.
The committee approved the subcommittee, appointing Senator Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan as convener, with Senators Dost Ali Jaisar and Jan Muhammad as members.
The Senate committee also considered a privilege motion filed by Senator Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan against Dr Sherjeel Zaheer, director of the Emergency and Accident Centre at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).
The motion concerned alleged remarks made after the senator published a social media post highlighting the poor condition of equipment and facilities at the hospital.
Senator Khan said she had raised the issue after witnessing the condition of a patient who allegedly could not receive assistance because the necessary equipment was not functioning.
Committee members expressed serious concerns about cleanliness, patient care and the hospital’s administrative affairs.
The chairman directed that an unannounced inspection of the hospital be conducted. The committee also accepted a written apology submitted by Pims.
The committee also examined a privilege motion filed by Senator Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan against Communications Minister Abdul Aleem Khan over his alleged use of unparliamentary language during a meeting of a Senate standing committee.
The incident involved a heated exchange between the two during a December 2025 meeting concerning a question about the construction of a road project.
Senator Mehdi informed the committee that a letter seeking the minister’s response had been sent, but no reply had been received.
The committee expressed displeasure over the minister’s absence and directed that another letter be issued. The matter was subsequently deferred.
