In response, the national airline has defended its country manager, stating that the incident was “due to a misunderstanding.”

The PIA spokesperson clarified that the airline does not have an office at the Bahrain airport and any unclaimed luggage was transferred to the airline’s central office, from where it was then delivered to the passengers.

The Pakistani embassy in Bahrain has also termed the incident as a “misunderstanding” and said that the central office was in contact with the passengers to ensure their belongings were returned to them.

The country manager’s actions do not constitute a criminal offence and the airline has engaged senior officials to defend the case, the PIA spokesperson said and added that updates on the case would be provided from time to time.