Islamabad: A leader of the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in a late night television talk show last week slapped the cheek of the country's privatisation minister. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government’s privatisation minister Daniyal Aziz, apparently called Naeemul Haq, a PTI leader, a ‘thief ’, at which the latter lost his cool and smacked the minister while the talk show was on.
According to Muneeb Farooq, anchor of the programme on Geo News, both the leaders were present in the Islamabad studio of the channel while he was moderating the show from Lahore. Following the incident, Aziz and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Nafeesha Shah, another guest speaker, walked out from the TV show.
Aziz said the incident was ‘pre-planned’. “It shows the frustration of PTI leaders and their handlers. Despite throwing their weight behind the Army and the judiciary, their public support diminishes daily.” Haq, however, tweeted that while it was an unfortunate spur of the moment reaction, Aziz’s “abusive language” against the PTI leadership and attack on army generals was unacceptable. “I hope he (Aziz) can mend his ways and stop spinning mistruths.”
Haq, considered an old friend of PTI chief Imran Khan, is not new to controversy. Last year, former PTI member Ayesha Gulali accused him of sexual harassment. Haq at the time defended himself by tweeting that he was “discussing a marriage proposal” with her. Few years ago, Haq had thrown a glass of water on PPP leader Jamil Soomro in a live TV programme.
