Lahore airport ‘incident’
Friday, 28 Aug, 2009 | 01:00 AM PST
AN incident was narrated to my wife by her friend whose husband was recently at Lahore Airport waiting to board a Karachi-bound flight.
Suddenly the chief minister of Punjab entered the lounge, and a PIA flight to Islamabad held up for hours was announced ready for boarding.
The self-revealing reason for the inordinate delay in departure infuriated the stranded passengers. Reportedly, a woman threw her shoe at the chief minister in a fit of rage and also hurled foul sentiments.
The other passengers soon joined her in the tirade against the CM. The security personnel barged in and stopped the scene from getting uglier.
The incident speaks volumes about the feelings of indignation and rebelliousness in the general public who are no more willing to capitulate their fundamental rights for the ruling class.
It is time our VIPs and elites mended their ways or else such embarrassing incidents will be making news very often.
The contemptuous and violent reaction of the common people in any case is destined to change the class-ridden society that has existed for over 62 years in Pakistan.
HAROON R. SIDDIQI
Karachi
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/lahore-airport-incident-889
This is in response to Haroon R. Siddiqi’s letter ‘Lahore airport incident’ (August 28). The writer, summing up the hearsay account, has simply tried to create a spicy storm in a teacup.
I wonder if the chief minister’s own plane was not available on that ill-fated day and so was the case with his helicopter: why did the chief minister’s security cordons let such an ugly scene happen in a lounge meant for ordinary passengers.
The chief minister would use the VVIP lounge if he has to travel on a commercial flight and would have direct access to the plane instead of mingling with the general public to get a boarding card issued. The chief minister’s staff would be performing normal boarding procedures instead of the minister himself.
Was the brave lady who hurled her shoe at the chief minister and then uttered sentimental narrations garlanded after the incident? Was the hurled shoe returned to her as a commendatory souvenir himself by the chief commander of Airport Security Force deputed at the Lahore airport to guard the provincial chief executive or did she leave the lounge barefooted to proceed to the aircraft where the chief minister patted on her back for showing such a patriotic concern? Or has she been added to the list of missing persons now?
And what was the fate of ASF commander and PIA Station Manager that evening?
Have they been made OSDs, not by the chief minister himself because they belonged to the federally controlled departments but, definitely, by the prime minister who would have come to the rescue the ridiculed chief minister, especially if the interior minister had shown reluctance and tried to protect negligent airport authorities to get some scores settled with the Sharifs due after the March 16 long march.
As far as protocols are concerned regarding the movement of VVIPs, have amendments been made to the Blue Book to include the chief ministers and stringent security measures adopted for their travelling on earth and in air.
Could such an incident happen in glaring public view and then went unnoticed too?
It’s an extremely unbelievable story.
ASAD SIDDIQUI
Lahore
(II)
In response to Haroon R. Siddiqi’s letter, ‘Lahore airport incident’(August 28), it seems that the form of protest invented by the Iraqi journalist Muntazir al-Zaidi who hurled shoes and insults at the then US president George W. Bush in Baghdad on Dec 14, 2008, has gained acceptance in Pakistan too.
This form of protest is more pregnant with symbolism than creating violence as in our society and the Arab world: throwing shoes at somebody is considered a serious insult.
The woman in question who hurled shoes and insult at the Punjab chief minister should not be applauded for making the scene just for hours long flight delay because of the apparent late arrival of the chief minister.
She should have shown her indignation for the chief minister’s unending love for police encounters, violating merit in civil bureaucracy, belittling the Punjab Assembly by occasionally attending its sessions, wasting public exchequers on so-called task forces and so on.
Similarly, the other ruling figures can be countered for several serious reasons. Their poor performance has hindered the flight of the Pakistani nation towards progress and prosperity.
Now, when the shoes have been hurled and the flight taken off, I would advise the woman in question to arrange a good security cover for her or sooner or later she will be countered by Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, Punjab prison minister, who is fond of taking on those who raise fingers at his boss. And his fondness multiplies if the target is a woman no matter if she is an MPA or just a passenger.
AHSAN RAZA
Muzaffargarh
DAWN.COM | Letters to the Editor | Lahore airport ?incident?
Friday, 28 Aug, 2009 | 01:00 AM PST
AN incident was narrated to my wife by her friend whose husband was recently at Lahore Airport waiting to board a Karachi-bound flight.
Suddenly the chief minister of Punjab entered the lounge, and a PIA flight to Islamabad held up for hours was announced ready for boarding.
The self-revealing reason for the inordinate delay in departure infuriated the stranded passengers. Reportedly, a woman threw her shoe at the chief minister in a fit of rage and also hurled foul sentiments.
The other passengers soon joined her in the tirade against the CM. The security personnel barged in and stopped the scene from getting uglier.
The incident speaks volumes about the feelings of indignation and rebelliousness in the general public who are no more willing to capitulate their fundamental rights for the ruling class.
It is time our VIPs and elites mended their ways or else such embarrassing incidents will be making news very often.
The contemptuous and violent reaction of the common people in any case is destined to change the class-ridden society that has existed for over 62 years in Pakistan.
HAROON R. SIDDIQI
Karachi
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/lahore-airport-incident-889
This is in response to Haroon R. Siddiqi’s letter ‘Lahore airport incident’ (August 28). The writer, summing up the hearsay account, has simply tried to create a spicy storm in a teacup.
I wonder if the chief minister’s own plane was not available on that ill-fated day and so was the case with his helicopter: why did the chief minister’s security cordons let such an ugly scene happen in a lounge meant for ordinary passengers.
The chief minister would use the VVIP lounge if he has to travel on a commercial flight and would have direct access to the plane instead of mingling with the general public to get a boarding card issued. The chief minister’s staff would be performing normal boarding procedures instead of the minister himself.
Was the brave lady who hurled her shoe at the chief minister and then uttered sentimental narrations garlanded after the incident? Was the hurled shoe returned to her as a commendatory souvenir himself by the chief commander of Airport Security Force deputed at the Lahore airport to guard the provincial chief executive or did she leave the lounge barefooted to proceed to the aircraft where the chief minister patted on her back for showing such a patriotic concern? Or has she been added to the list of missing persons now?
And what was the fate of ASF commander and PIA Station Manager that evening?
Have they been made OSDs, not by the chief minister himself because they belonged to the federally controlled departments but, definitely, by the prime minister who would have come to the rescue the ridiculed chief minister, especially if the interior minister had shown reluctance and tried to protect negligent airport authorities to get some scores settled with the Sharifs due after the March 16 long march.
As far as protocols are concerned regarding the movement of VVIPs, have amendments been made to the Blue Book to include the chief ministers and stringent security measures adopted for their travelling on earth and in air.
Could such an incident happen in glaring public view and then went unnoticed too?
It’s an extremely unbelievable story.
ASAD SIDDIQUI
Lahore
(II)
In response to Haroon R. Siddiqi’s letter, ‘Lahore airport incident’(August 28), it seems that the form of protest invented by the Iraqi journalist Muntazir al-Zaidi who hurled shoes and insults at the then US president George W. Bush in Baghdad on Dec 14, 2008, has gained acceptance in Pakistan too.
This form of protest is more pregnant with symbolism than creating violence as in our society and the Arab world: throwing shoes at somebody is considered a serious insult.
The woman in question who hurled shoes and insult at the Punjab chief minister should not be applauded for making the scene just for hours long flight delay because of the apparent late arrival of the chief minister.
She should have shown her indignation for the chief minister’s unending love for police encounters, violating merit in civil bureaucracy, belittling the Punjab Assembly by occasionally attending its sessions, wasting public exchequers on so-called task forces and so on.
Similarly, the other ruling figures can be countered for several serious reasons. Their poor performance has hindered the flight of the Pakistani nation towards progress and prosperity.
Now, when the shoes have been hurled and the flight taken off, I would advise the woman in question to arrange a good security cover for her or sooner or later she will be countered by Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, Punjab prison minister, who is fond of taking on those who raise fingers at his boss. And his fondness multiplies if the target is a woman no matter if she is an MPA or just a passenger.
AHSAN RAZA
Muzaffargarh
DAWN.COM | Letters to the Editor | Lahore airport ?incident?
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