Balochistan MPA Throws Passport In Assembly After Airport Detention

A Balochistan Assembly session saw a dramatic protest on Tuesday when opposition lawmaker Zahid Reki threw his passport on the floor after alleging that he had been stopped at an airport and treated as a security suspect. The incident unfolded in Quetta during proceedings of the provincial legislature, where the lawmaker raised the matter on a point of order.

Reki told the house that he was travelling to Madinah when officials at the airport stopped him. He said the Federal Investigation Agency prevented him from proceeding and that he was later told his passport had been blocked. The lawmaker described the episode as a serious violation of his rights and parliamentary privilege.

According to his statement in the assembly, Reki claimed that Additional Home Secretary Hamza Shafqat had blocked his passport. He said he attempted to contact the official by phone but did not receive a response. The opposition member demanded that the authorities explain the basis for the restriction and identify any allegation being used against him.

The lawmaker told the assembly that public representatives from his area face threats when they travel to Washuk, while in Quetta they are allegedly branded as terrorists. His remarks reflected frustration over what he presented as a wider issue of security treatment and official accountability in Balochistan.

Reki asked the authorities to clarify whether he was being linked to any banned organisation and demanded that evidence be produced if such an accusation existed. He said declaring him a terrorist without proof amounted to a breach of privilege and called for the official concerned to be summoned before the assembly.

The protest escalated when Reki threw his passport on the assembly floor. The act immediately drew a response from Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, who criticised the manner of protest and said it was inappropriate to throw the passport of the country in that way.

Bugti also apologised to the lawmaker over the airport stoppage and said the additional home secretary had been summoned. He added that the issue would be discussed in his chamber, indicating that the provincial government would take up the complaint directly with the relevant official.

Reki later apologised for throwing the passport, saying he had no wrongful intention. The episode leaves the provincial government facing questions over the grounds for stopping an elected representative from travelling and what evidence, if any, was used to restrict his movement.