Respecting laws only adds to your dignity: PM on US airport security checks
'Whether I am prime minister or not, it does not affect my prestige; I have seen Bill Clinton pass through same checks', Abbasi says
April 05, 2018
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Thursday that abiding by the laws of a foreign country only adds to one's dignity and there is no embarrassment in that.
Asked about meeting the US vice president during his recent visit to the United States and that what actually happened there at the airport, the prime minister said: "It was a private tour. I got a chance to apprise the [US] vice president of our stance since he had asked me to meet with him whenever I visited the US.
"It was an occasion. We had a discussion and presented our stance before them," he said, adding that the defence attaché also accompanied him to meeting.
Addressing the latter part of the question, Abbasi said that he has been travelling to the US for the past 40 years and feels that every person should get through the security checks.
"Whether I am prime minister or not, it does not affect my prestige; I have seen Bill Clinton pass through the same security [checks]," he said.
"So you decide what embarrassment one has in passing through these checks. I understand that it only adds to your dignity when you go to a [foreign] country and respect it laws."
On March 24, PM Abbasi was seen at a US airport without any security protocol during a private visit to the country on Saturday. He could be seen following the standard security procedures in place for all passengers in a video circulating on the social media.
Abbasi, known for adhering to simplicity in his personal life, was previously spotted travelling alone at a train station during his visit to Britain.
He also won several hearts after a picture of him cutting cake on his birthday was widely shared on social networking sites in December last year. Dressed casually with a shawl wrapped around, Abbasi was seen cutting the birthday cake at his home.
