A Pakistan minister was reported to be heckled at an airport in the United States soon after he landed to attend a slew of meetings. A video is being widely shared on social media that shows the country’s finance minister – Ishaq Dar – being called a “chor” or a “thief” at the airport in Washington DC.
The viral clip shows a man engaged in an argument with Dar, who was accompanied by other officials. It’s not clear what was the trigger of the argument. As the verbal duel continues, a delegate member- next to Dar – intervenes in a bid to win the shouting match and a flurry of expletives then follows. He was Mani Butt, the president of PML-N’s Virginia chapter, according to a report published by Pakistan’s daily Dawn. Dar had reached the United States to attend the annual meetings of the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the World Bank.
This is not the first time that the ruling party in Pakistan has been met with such unwelcoming spirit during international visits. Earlier, Pakistan information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb was heckled by some people said to be supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan’s party. But she had also drawn praise for holding her composure despite the ruckus. She had herself shared the video on Twitter.
“Sad to see the toxic impact IK’s politics of hate & divisiveness has had on our brothers & sisters. I stayed & answered each & every question they had. Sadly, they are victims of IK’s propaganda. We will continue our work to counter IK’s toxic politics & bring people together,” she had tweeted at the time.
In August, “chor-chor” slogans were raised when Shehbaz Sharif – the country’s PM – was on a visit to Saudi Arabia.
