RAWALPINDI: The Norwegian woman and her daughter, a medical student, who were beaten by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) officials when they asked for toilet paper at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport on Saturday, were booked by the airport police after the FIA complained the mother and daughter obstructed the officials from performing their duties.
Initial investigations by the FIA director Islamabad had found the officials innocent, sources told Dawn.
A medical student from Oslo, Fouzia Umer was taken to the Benazir Bhutto Hospital when she fainted while being beaten at the airport. The mother and daughter had come here two weeks ago with family to spend their summer holidays.
“My daughters Fouzia and Fatima and my wife Haseena were leaving for Oslo on Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-771. After checking in, Fouzia went into the bathroom and asked a woman standing outside for toilet paper,” the victim’s father Umar told Dawn.
He said the woman, later identified as FIA official Noshila, got angry and said she was not responsible for providing toilet paper and that she was from immigration staff.
Fouzia asked her not to be rude and the two exchanged hot words.
When the family went to the immigration counter, the officials threatened to not let them board, according to Umar, who said his daughters’ and wife’s boarding cards were torn and their passports taken.
“This was all recorded by CCTV cameras,” he said, adding that other officials had gathered in the meantime and Fouzia was taken to a side room where there are no CCTV cameras and where she was beaten till she fainted.
Umar came back after receiving a call from his wife, found his daughter screaming outside the departure lounge and took her to the hospital.
He said he was surprised to learn a case had been registered against his wife and daughter. He said he expected justice from the interior ministry but he will also contact the Norwegian embassy on Monday.
“This was my family’s last visit to Pakistan and the airport had the law of the jungle,” he said.
Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2017
