Former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhary and his son featured in a video widely shared on social media on Wednesday.

The video showed Chaudhary's son arguing with an irate passenger who demanded that they head to the back of the line as people queued up to board a plane to London at the Jeddah airport in Saudi Arabia.

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

Chaudhary's son can be seen telling the unidentified passenger that they've been told to move ahead to board the plane first as business class travellers, but the passenger keeps arguing that they should not cut ahead.

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

Before matters escalate, however, the former justice intervenes to diffuse the situation, saying "it doesn't matter" and moving out of the camera frame, presumably to the back of the line.

The incident has become a talking point because it seems to contradict the persona the former chief justice projected of himself.

In his eight years as Chief Justice of Pakistan, Chaudhry 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.

Editorial

Ominous demands
18 May, 2024

Ominous demands

THE cash-strapped government opened talks with the IMF this week in search of a larger and longer bailout. Nobody...
Property leaks
18 May, 2024

Property leaks

THE leaked Dubai property data reported on by media organisations around the world earlier this week seems to have...
Heat warnings
18 May, 2024

Heat warnings

STARTING next week, the country must brace for brutal heatwaves. The NDMA warns of severe conditions with...
Dangerous law
Updated 17 May, 2024

Dangerous law

It must remember that the same law can be weaponised against it one day, just as Peca was when the PTI took power.
Uncalled for pressure
17 May, 2024

Uncalled for pressure

THE recent press conferences by Senators Faisal Vawda and Talal Chaudhry, where they demanded evidence from judges...
KP tussle
17 May, 2024

KP tussle

THE growing war of words between KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Governor Faisal Karim Kundi is affecting...