Daily Times

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar Friday took notice of alleged misbehaviour of Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Minister Fida Hussain with an official at the Islamabad airport.

The chief justice has summoned Hussain and the airport official to appear at the Lahore registry on Saturday (today).

“As per media reports, the incident took place over a flight delay due to bad weather and the minister pushed the arrival incharge so hard that he stumbled,” the SC notice reads.

On Thursday, November 16, Gilgit-bound Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-607 scheduled for 7am was first delayed due to technical reasons and later cancelled due to bad weather. Videos of an angry passenger protesting against the delay went viral on social media that day. The passenger, reported by the videographer to be Hussain, set fire to his possessions in protest over the delay. When a fire extinguisher was brought to put the flames out, the passenger kicked it away in anger. Furthermore, when an airport security official approaches him to address the matter, the passenger can be seen holding his arms up and repeating, “Go bring handcuffs.”

In another video, the same man, reportedly the tourism minister, can be seen arguing with a white-uniformed official and later shoving him hard, causing him to skid across the airport floor and stumble.

Later in the day, PIA CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik talked to GB Law Minister Aurangzeb Khan, who was also going to travel by the same flight, and told him that the flight had been cancelled due to bad weather. He assured that a special flight will be operated for them.

Published in Daily Times, November 17^th 2018.