GB minister loses his cool, manhandles PIA official at Islamabad airport

ISLAMABAD: A video went viral on Thursday showing Gilgit Baltistan’s Minister for Tourism Fida Hussain losing his cool and manhandling a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) official at Islamabad airport over cancellation of a Gilgit-bound flight owing to adverse weather conditions.

In the video Mr Hussain and another minister Aurangzaib can be seen belting out abusive remarks and burning their jackets in protest against the cancellation of the flight.

The officials of PIA, Airport Security Force (ASF) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) present at the airport kept pacifying them but to no avail as the ministers not only misbehaved with them but also extended threats.

Mr Hussain had returned from the United Kingdom and was accompanied by more than 25 foreigners who were scheduled to fly to Gilgit along with him.

According to PIA officials, the flight cancelled owing to bad weather as a matter of routine.

Speaking to ARY News, the minister parked the blame of this episode at the PIA officials’ door, saying this all happened due to their “behavior, telling lies and fraud.”

When confronted with questions why did he go physical, he said: “We are not fool, illiterate, or irresponsible people, but ministers. A flight for Gilgit had already departed while the second was cancelled. How come the second flight couldn’t take off owing to bad weather when the first one was already in the air.”