Skardu:
The Minister of Finance of Gilgit-Baltistan, engineer Muhammad Ismail, landed in hot water after a video of him struggled with residents affected by the floods in the Ghursey region of the Ghanche district has become viral on social networks, drawing a general conviction of the public.
According to eyewitnesses, local residents of Ghursey gathered stones to build a protective embankment on a base of self-assistance after the erosion of the river destroyed large expanses of their agricultural land.
While the Minister of Finance’s convoy crossed the region, residents reported, demanding the release of official funds for flood protection work.
However, the situation intensified when the minister responded to the requests with anger.
In a verbal exchange with elderly residents, he would have shouted: “We allocated a program worth 120 million rupees last year, and yet the region is not sure, go to hell”.
The remarks exasperated the victims of the floods, with an elderly man retorting, “you go to hell”.
The questions have further deteriorated when the Minister of Finance came out of his vehicle and physically confronted the elderly man.
The situation was defused by the president of the district of the Pakistan peoples’ party (PPP) and other companions sitting in the back of the Minister’s vehicle, who intervened and managed to calm the minister before escorting him in the car.
The images of the incident quickly circulated online, arousing strong criticism from users who described the conduct of the minister as “shameful” and “an abuse of power”.
Social media users condemned what they called the arrogance of elected representatives “intoxicated with authority”, mistreating the very voters who elected them “.
