Any head of state on private visit will be frisked: US official on Pak PM Abbasi

An official of US in India has justified the frisking of Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi at an airport in the country. Alexander McLaren, deputy spokesperson of US Embassy in India, said that any head of State travelling as a private citizen without diplomatic passport has to go through security screening.

“If a head of State chooses to travel privately without diplomatic passport then they are travelling as a private citizen, and they have to go through same security screening as you, I and everyone else has gone through, said McLaren.

This comes after a video of Abbasi being frisked by security officials at an airport in US went viral, triggering uproar in Pakistani media. However, Pakistan-based Geo News had reported that Abbasi voluntarily followed the security procedures.

Pointing that Abbasi was in US on a private visit, Geo News had released a video wherein Pakistani PM could be seen at airport without any security protocol. The report had also pointed that Abbasi had always been popular for adhering to simplicity in his personal life, citing his recent visit to Britain where he was spotted travelling alone on a train.

Geo News also referred to a recent photograph of the Pakistani Prime Minister wearing a simple shawl while cutting his birthday cake. The picture reportedly went viral on social media in the country.

The video in question showed Abbasi carrying a coat in one hand and a suitcase in the other as he walked towards security check area.

A leading newspaper had reported that the “indignity” had angered the Pakistani media, citing reports of US President Donald Trump and his administration considering visa ban on Pakistani nationals.

Abbasi had gone to US to reportedly meet his ailing sister. During the visit he also reportedly met US Vice President Mike Pence. This comes even as US has told Pakistan that the country needs to do more to tackle the menace of terrorism.