Minister Ahsan Iqbal Praised For Displaying Composure In The Face Of Hecklers

Minister Ahsan Iqbal Praised For Displaying Composure In The Face Of Hecklers
Social media users have commended Planning Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal for showing composure after a video of him being heckled by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters at McDonald’s restaurant went viral. The hecklers’ behaviour has been widely condemned, with many terming the incident a sign of growing polarisation in the country.

The video shows the PML-N leader at a fast food establishment at Bhera service station along the M2 Motorway, trying to purchase some food, when a woman walks up to him and starts admonishing him.

Eventually, people around her —presumably her family members, started chanting and heckling him as they left the establishment, calling him a 'thief'.

The video has left social media users shocked at the level of politicization the country has reached, with many questioning political leaders for inciting such hatred amongst their followers.

Commenting on the incident after the fact, Ahsan Iqbal tweeted yesterday (Friday) that he had at Bhera clashed with a family 'who seem to consider themselves elite but instead of dialogue they started chanting slogans like ignorant people'.

https://twitter.com/betterpakistan/status/1545417312601505792

Social media users have condemned the incident, calling it an appalling display of hatred.

https://twitter.com/AsadAToor/status/1545489485034561538

https://twitter.com/nighatdad/status/1545602951355551749

Others pointed out that such incidents could trigger even bigger cases of actual violence, and would only further aggravate the political environment in the country.

https://twitter.com/Xadeejournalist/status/1545484148776869896

https://twitter.com/iqrarulhassan/status/1545441463030661126

Noting that the family appeared to be from a privileged socioeconomic class, questions were raised at the effectiveness of starting a revolution in an international fast foos chain.

https://twitter.com/ZHidayatullah/status/1545537764317433857

https://twitter.com/NadeemfParacha/status/1545636486808326146

https://twitter.com/akkhan81/status/1545662867487301633

https://twitter.com/ShaykShack/status/1545429660602978305

https://twitter.com/Napoha_/status/1545463292990193665