News Desk |
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was seen undergoing a regular security check at US airport in a video that went viral on social media yesterday. The video showed Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi dressed in a red polo shirt carrying his luggage and coat after going through the security procedures.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was on a private trip to the USA to visit his ailing sister.
Pakistan PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi searched at Airport. I don’t know why indian media is making a big issue out of nothing even when their PM Modi was denied entry into US. #ShahidKhaqanAbbasi #Pakistan
— Owais Shah (@owaistshah) March 28, 2018
Official sources informed media that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was traveling on his private passport in a commercial airline. They also stated that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is a simple man so he was not bothered undergoing security check on the airport.
“He was on a private trip so he went through the security check like all passengers. In the US this involves taking off any clothing with metal, your jacket, and your shoes when passing through the scanner. He was not strip searched, that’s complete nonsense,” one of the premier’s family member told media.
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“He was on a commercial flight, so he was traveling media’s sensationalism a normal passenger and went through normal security procedures. When he went in September to the UN, it was an official trip and he was received by US security officials and escorted as per VIP protocol directly from the plane,” the family member added.
In an answer to the question put forward by Indian publication, Alexander McLaren, deputy spokesperson of the US Embassy in New Delhi, said “My understanding is that if the head of state chooses to travel privately without diplomatic passport, then they are travelling as a private citizen, then he would have to go through the same security screening that you and I will have to go. Obviously, an official visit is a different story.”
Reports of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi undergoing security check came amid the rumors of Trump administration imposing ban or sanctions on few individuals within the government.
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A group of people in Pakistan believe that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s security check on John F. Kennedy airport was an ignominy to their Prime Minister. However, they are also annoyed by the sensationalism created by Indian media on the news.
People in Pakistan are questioning Indian media’s sensationalism over the news when their own Prime Minister Narendra Modi was once denied entry in the United States of America.