State minister suggests ‘tit for tat’ response to US screening laws

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Malik Ammad on Wednesday advocated a ‘tit for tat’ response towards the new US screening laws.

Speaking in Senate, Ammad said US citizens should be treated in exactly the same manner as the Obama administration was treating Pakistanis at US airports.

Senator Haji Adeel seconded his suggestion, adding that if Pakistani authorities do not have modern screening equipment, US citizens should be subjected to a manual screening process.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told the House in a written reply that Pakistani authorities were engaged with the US over its screening laws, adding that he hopes that the issue would be resolved at the earliest. Pakistan does not intend to raise this issue at the Organisation of Islamic Conference platform, he said.

The House was informed that the new US screening laws were enforced after a Nigerian national was charged with attempting to blow up a US airliner using explosives he had smuggled onboard. tahir niaz