Families of CJP, judges exempted from body searches at airports

ISLAMABAD – The serving judges of the country along with their families have been exempted from body searches at airports across the country, it emerged on Saturday.

A directive issued in this regard by the Ministry of Aviation confirmed an exemption from body searches at all Pakistani airports for serving judges, the chief justice of Pakistan and their spouses following directives from the Supreme Court.

The Director General Airport Security Force (ASF) was informed of the directive passed on the directions of the Secretary Aviation.

The notification is dated October 12, though it surfaced recently, stirring debate about the exemption granted to a specific section of society while other citizens are still subjected to the body search.

It bears mentioning that the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Qazi Faez Essa advocates minimum protocol for himself and also advises opting austerity measures but the latest directives have posed serious questions; Qazi Faez Essa was sworn in as the 29th Chief Justice of Pakistan in September this year.