ISLAMABAD - A controversy over ‘mandatory’ baggage-wrapping policy ended Monday as the government withdrew the decision after facing severe criticism from the environmentalists as well as from the frequent travellers.

The decision to withdraw the earlier notification was announced by the Federal Minister for Human Rights on her social media handle with an image of the revised notification.

“The incorrect notification withdrawn - as I had said this morning it was never a federal government decision. Will ask to have an inquiry as to how and who in CAA put out such a notification. All bureaucracy should know that Federal Govt means Cabinet! This issue never discussed!” she wrote.

Earlier, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) through a notification has made it compulsory for air travellers to ensure shrink-wrapping of their baggage that invites criticism on social media.

The criticism was more embarrassing for incumbent government because some of the top guns within their own ranks were witnessed criticising the said policy openly on social media.

The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s leader Jahangir Tareen was among the travellers who took Twitter to express their distaste for the measure.

“Just came across a very illogical notification issued by the CAA. Forcing passengers to wrap their luggage is not on. People should have the right to decide whether they want their luggage wrapped or not. The notification should be withdrawn ASAP,” he had tweeted.

The others frequent flyers had also criticised the policy and blamed that the policy was introduced to favour a blue eyed company by tasking it with wrapping of baggage on airports. They termed it as a ‘corrupt profit-making endeavour’, ‘legalised corruption’, anti environment and so on. 

Meanwhile, the State Minister for Climate Change also took Twitter to counter the criticism made by social media users in her repeated tweets. She explained that the plastic wrapping is pre-requisite for Road to Makkah project introduced by the Saudi government.

She explained further that the law enforcement agencies i.e. customs, Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) and Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) also recommended plastic wrapping to prevent and mitigate the theft and damage.

“There is NO IMPACT on the imminent ban on plastic bags in Islamabad”, she maintained.  

Earlier on Sunday, Shahrukh Nusrat, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), had also tried to justify the decision and said that wrapping baggage was now “mandatory”, and it was being done for “safety” purposes.

Passengers would have to pay Rs50 per bag for the wrapping, Nusrat had said in a statement. “For this purpose, new plastic-wrapping machines are being installed on an urgent basis,” he had added.