Pakistan MPs end US visit to protest body scanners

A six-member Pakistani parliamentary delegation from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), protesting full body scanning in Washington, decided to end their US visit and return to Pakistan.

Head of the parliamentary delegation Senator Abbas Khan Afridi told reporters that they refused body scanning at the Washington Dulles International Airport, saying it was an 'insult' to parliamentarians of a sovereign country.

Afridi said that before their arrival in the US, they were informed by the US State Department that they would not tolerate any such discrimination during their visit.

“We cannot compromise on Pakistan's self-respect,” Afridi added.

The delegation had reached the US on February 28 for a 15-day visit.

Under the new rules, all citizens of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Iraq, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen must receive an extra check of their carry-on bags before boarding a plane bound for America.

The X-ray machines show naked images of passengers. Muslim travelers criticize the scanning as a violation of their religious beliefs.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=120286§ionid=351020401.