KARACHI: A video featuring former Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry and his son waiting to board a plane at Jeddah airport in Saudi Arabia went viral on social media on Wednesday, reported Dawn.com.

The video showed Justice Chaudhry’s son, Arsalan, arguing with a passenger who demanded that they head to the back of the line as people queued up to board a plane to London at Jeddah airport.

Reported as a “humiliating experience” for the former chief justice by the local media, it looks like the argument happened due to a misunderstanding about the priority boarding privilege usually accorded to business class passengers.

Arsalan Chaudhry is seen in the video telling the unidentified passenger that they had been told to move ahead to board the plane first as business class travellers.

“Excuse me...sorry you’re not in the queue,” said the passenger, adding that they had been asked to stand at the back.

But Arsalan insisted that they had been asked to board as business class passengers. “...he doesn’t know anything. I came from the counter and he said that [we can board],” said the former CJ’s son.

“Talk to him but don’t join this queue, please...talk to those at the counter but don’t push in the queue. We have been waiting,” the passenger is heard saying.

But before the matter escalates, Justice Chaud­hry intervened to defuse the situation and said “it doesn’t matter” and moved out of the camera frame, presumably to the back of the line.

The incident became a talking point because it seemed to contradict the persona the former chief justice projected of himself.

In his eight years as CJP, Chaudhry Iftikhar had developed a reputation for lecturing extensively on public morality and issuing stern warnings to errant government officials. He was also regarded as being on a one-man mission to rid the country of its social, economic and political ills.

Sheikh Ahsanuddin, spokesman for the former CJ’s Pakistan Justice Democratic Critic Party, which was formed in 2015, said it was understood and known fact that business class passengers had preference over those of economy class when it was time to board.

“They did nothing wrong. Justice Chaudhry did not say or do anything,” he said, adding that Arsalan informed the passenger, who was filming them, that the airline had asked business class passengers to board the plane.

“Even if they were standing in the wrong line...what’s wrong with it? Iftikhar Chaudhry was graceful enough to step aside,” said the spokesman.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2017