Skardu:
Gilgit-Baltistan’s Minister of Finance, Muhammad Ismail, landed in hot water after a video of him fighting with residents affected by floods in the Ghursey area of the Ghanche district became viral on social networks, which caused a general condemnation of the public.
According to eyewitnesses, local residents in Ghursey were collecting stones to build a protective embankment over self -help after the erosion of the river had destroyed great stripes of their agricultural land.
As the convoy of the Minister of Finance went through the area, the residents marked him, demanding the release of official funds for flood protection works.
However, the situation intensified when the minister responded angry at the demands.
In a verbal exchange with elderly residents, according to reports, he shouted: “We assigned a scheme worth RS120 million last year, and yet the area is not safe, go to hell.”
The comments incense to the victims of the flood, with an elderly man replicating: “You go to hell.”
The issues deteriorated even more when the finance minister left his vehicle and physically faced the old man.
The situation was deactivated by the president of the District of the Popular Party of Pakistan (PPP) and other colleagues sitting in the back of the minister’s vehicle, who intervened and managed to calm the minister before accompanying him back to the car.
The images of the incident circulated quickly online, which caused strong criticism of the users who described the behavior of the minister as “shameful” and “an abuse of power.”
The users of social networks condemned what they called the arrogance of elected representatives “intoxicated with authority”, mistreating the same voters who chose them. “
