Chief justice takes notice of GB tourism minister's 'misbehaviour' at Islamabad airport
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The Supreme Court has ordered Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Minister Fida Hussain and the arrival in charge at Islamabad Airport to appear before the court on November 17 and explain their position about an incident where Hussain allegedly misbehaved with the airport official following a flight delay on Thursday.
Chief Justice Saqib Nisar issued court summons on Friday asking both Hussain and the airport official to appear before the Supreme Court's Lahore Registry on Saturday.
"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," observes the SC notice.
On Thursday, November 16, Gilgit-bound Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-607 scheduled for 7am was first delayed due to technical reasons and cancelled later 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, including "an expensive jacket". When a fire extinguisher was brought to put the flames out, the passenger kicked it away in anger, as seen in the video.
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.
"The weather is bad you say. The weather is bad for one flight and not the other?" he exclaims incredulously before proceeding to ask the white-uniformed man his designation.
"I am the arrival in charge," responded the man, introducing himself.
At this the vexed passenger's annoyance turns to hostility and asking him to bring the manager of operations he shoves the arrival in charge hard, causing him to skid across the airport floor and stumble.
Later that day, the PIA spokesperson said CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik talked to GB Law Minister Aurangzeb Khan, who was also going to travel on the flight, and told him that the flight had been cancelled due to bad weather.
He said the passengers were moved to hotels for the night and assured that a special flight will be operated for them on Friday.
