Adil Najam
Disgraceful behavior by Pakistani politicians is not restricted to our Federal Minister of Law, Justice and Human Rights Chaudhry Mohammad Wasi Zafar… see the earlier ATP post accounting his ‘encounters’ with lawlessness.
It turns out that a certain Mr. Abid Ali Umang, MNA from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has similarly confused ideas about what the ‘priviliges’ of being a politician should be. This is how Dawn (16 July, 2006) describes the events under the headline ‘MNA carrying gun creates scene at airport’:
Unruly scenes were witnessed at the Islamabad airport’s VIP Rawal Lounge on Friday night when a parliamentarian belonging to the ruling coalition insisted on carrying a firearm aboard and hurled threats at the Airport Security Force (ASF) official on duty. Sources said Muttahida Qaumi
Movement (MQM) MNA Abid Ali Umang along with his colleague MNA Mohammad Pervez Qureshi arrived at the Rawal Lounge to take a PIA flight (PK-319) to Karachi. The two legislators were allowed to enter the lounge without a security check after they identified themselves as MNAs. However, when the ASF official on duty inquired about the contents of a bag carried by Mr Umang, the latter replied: “There is a pistol in the bag.� The ASI told the lawmaker that carrying firearms was strictly prohibited, therefore, he could not proceed.
This infuriated the MNA and he entered into a fiery dialogue with the ASF official. Later, the ‘protestingà¢ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ MNA was also joined by his colleague. As tension mounted, the ASF chief security officer rushed to the scene at around 10:30pm and settled the issue through talks. The security chief also tender an apology to the minister and transferred the ASF official to some other section of the airport. The sources also quoted the MNA as saying that he would move a privilege motion in the National Assembly if the ASI concerned was not dismissed from service.
Meanwhile, the MNAs never made it aboard the Karachi-bound flight as they were not holding confirmed tickets.
I am certainly glad that they did not board the plane with the gun. I do think that a privilege motion (or some sort of a motion) should be moved in the Assembly on this incident. But it should be against the two MNAs and to commend the ASI.
Please, don’t anyone tell me that this proves that we are not ready for real democracy. No. This does not mean that at all. It only means that we have to start electing a better set of people and it means that we still have people like the ASI in this case who are willing to stand up for law and justice; even if the Minister in-charge of that portfolio is not.
My thanks to Talha Masood (blog: My cosmos…) for altering me to this news through a post in Metroblog Islamabad.
Mr.PatExpat I respect your point of view and hope that Inshallah time will refine your thinkings in future about MQM.As far as the reason for carrying arm is concern I think there is no need to comment on it because it is not a matter of discusion here. Afterall thanks for comment.
Abid Ali Umang
My Dear Saifulumuluk I am so grateful to you for your comments.
Regards
Abid Ali Umang
Just because you are allowed to carry fire arms does not mean you have to carry them all the time even when you are travelling with a 10 month old kid in your ‘lap’.
And when you carry a fire arm, there should be a reason for carrying one – not just to ascertain one’s manhood.
Moreover, he could have left the gun in Islamabad. MQM has enough firearm in Karachi to equip all MQM politicians, workers and voters.
Mr. Umang’s version of the story sounds plausible. After reading it I am satisfied that he is not just making up the sotry to defend himself. Therefor, my vote is “Not guilty”.
My Dear Friends.
I respect all of you and your valuable comments. I didn’t mention the details of the incident because I didn’t want to open a new debate but if my honorable friends wants to read the other side of the story then I can give them a brief of that incident……
First of all we must know the procedure to carry the arm by Air…Every one who wants to carry the arm with him must follow the following steps:
a) He provides the ARM to the ASF staff with the original license.
b) Then the security staff will “Check Out” the License number, Validity, Quantity of bullets, Made along with the manufacturing number of arm.
c) After getting these observations the concerned staff official must enter these details in “SOP Register”…
d) After that they will pack the arm in “Hold Baggage” because any arm can not be carried by any person in “HAND CARRY BAGGAGE”.
e) After completing the process they sent the arm in “HOLD BAGGAGE” with a special tag over it to the other destination.
f) At last they sent a “TELEX Message” to the ASF staff of the destination airport for further secure delivery of the arm.
…..Now my dear friends as a legislator of a NATIONAL FORUM, I know the process and I also abide by the rules and regulations…..so how can I broke the law……so please read the details as below…….
………When I entered in the Rawal Lounge I was carrying the gun in a “Paper Shopping Bag” and in other hand I was carrying my “TEN Monthsâ€