Karachi: Air traveller booked for `insulting` ex-adviser

KARACHI, June 1: The Airport police on Wednesday booked a man on a complaint of former adviser to the Sindh chief minister Sharmila Farooqi for ‘intentionally insulting her’ during a Karachi-bound flight from Islamabad, officials said.

Air traveller booked for `insulting` ex-adviser to the Sindh chief minister Sharmila Farooqi during a Karachi-bound flight from Islamabad. Courtesy: Dawn News

They said Ms Farooqi approached the Airport police station with a complaint against a co-traveller, a resident of Lahore, accusing him of insulting her while they were aboard PIA flight PK-301.

“In accordance with the information given by her, the police registered a case (FIR 165/2011) under Sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) against the suspect,” said an Airport police official.

“The man was not arrested as by the time she came to us, he had already left the airport.”

He said the police had collected information about the man from airport organisations. Efforts were under way to trace him, he added.

Speaking to Dawn, Ms Farooqi said the man ‘misbehaved’ and abused Pakistani politicians before the plane landed at Quaid-i-Azam International Airport.

“He was sitting right behind me,” she said, adding: “Trouble started when he asked me to move first towards the exit gate but I requested the same since I was not feeling comfortable. Instead, he started making abusive comments which offended me.”

She said when she drew his attention to his misbehavior, he started abusing Pakistani politicians which provoked heated arguments between them.

“It’s not true that he slapped me but he almost physically harmed me during the verbal exchange,” added Ms Farooqi.

The original article can be found at Dawn News.

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