Qatar on Wednesday expressed
regrets for violating female passengers’ privacy in 10 flights due to rigorous ‘invasive’
examination. Qatar said the invasive examination was carried out to search for an abandoned baby’s mother
at Doha Airport, reported news agency AFP.

Earlier this month, women were also compelled to undergo
vaginal inspections after being removed from a Sydney-bound Qatar Airways
flight in Doha, following the hunt of a deserted newborn’s mother
in Hamad International airport bathroom.

Qatar, which has been under
tremendous pressure for such unethical behavior towards women boarding the
flight issued an official statement on a government’s website saying, “While
the aim of the urgently-decided search was to prevent the perpetrators of the
horrible crime from escaping, the State of Qatar regrets any distress or infringement
on the personal freedoms of any traveler caused by this action.”

Prime Minister Sheikh
Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani assured that a “comprehensive
and transparent” investigation would be carried out in the matter”.

“Qatar is committed to
ensuring the safety, security and comfort of all travelers transiting through
the country and will ensure the same”, he added

Appalled by the incident Australia’s
Foreign Minister Marise Payne also reacted on it and told the Parliament that
10 aircrafts carrying 18 women, 13 Australians were subjected to the humiliating
inspection, that in his words were described as ‘grossly disturbing’ and ‘offensive’.

The incident attracted severe
backlash with protests against the Qatar Authorities erupted in Australia and
has upended the absolute need to boost its reputation before the Gulf state
hosts the football world cup in 2022.