It is very unfortunate that former PM and PTI chief Imran Khan has transferred his toxic and ill-mentality to his supporters as well which can be gauged from their repeated acts of heckling and sloganeering of opponents not only in Pakistan but also abroad. The heckling of Federal Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb in London coffee shop is a latest case in point. 

Once again the party hooligans were on the rampage, this time in UK and their target was a lone women leader Maryam Aurangzeb, at a coffee shop, where she had nothing to do with politics as she was there to relax and take a cup of coffee. There is something seriously wrong with the PTI chief and its main leadership mindset and the irony is that they are passing this poisonous and hateful mindset to the supporters as well, who go berserk on many an occasion and start behaving like hooligans, having no respect for rule of the law, ethics or any other social norm or consideration.

What happened with Maryam Aurangzeb at a coffee shop in London is deplorable by all standards in every civilized society. No sensible person can justify it by any means.  TO be very specific, no one has the right to call others by bad names, level others as thieves or harass and heckle someone in a way that PTI supporters did in London with no sense of regret at all. What the IK and his supporters fail to understand is what they are sowing today will be reap by them tomorrow.

It is law of the universe that ‘what goes around comes around’ in a big way.   Question crop into mind as to whether Imran Khan or his party women are ready to face a similar disgusting and shameful situation at the hand of political opponents at home or abroad. Surely not, then why this hateful and toxic environment being introduced and promoted by the PTI leaders among its supporters. Credit goes to Maryam Aurangzeb for enduring it all with grace, not budging an inch from her position and braving it with aplomb. Everybody condemned the PTI’s hooligans and one thinks even some sensible PTI supporters might not support this act of their party men, who go on rampage sometime in Saudi Arabia and another in London. Such deplorable acts are also damaging our country’s image at abroad, where a large number of Pakistani are based around the world. On the other hand, it is having negative impact on our youth, who may turn violent, taking law into their hands at will which will damage our social structure which is already crumbling to a galore of social ills. What is more deplorable is the Imran Khan’s silence on this deplorable act. One would agree with Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari who tweeted: “More power to you. Ugly trolls silent on Imran Khan caught stealing from charity, calling OBL a Shaheed, calling victims of terrorism blackmailers & justifying rape on clothing. For anyone with a basic IQ - It is a huge matter of pride to NOT be an Imran Khan supporter.” The way IK has loosened his brigade of polluted and sick mentality in the society show that he has no respect for the ethics, and  have no sense of respect for either women or anyone who is not a part of PTI. This mindset will gnaw at the root of our society and will also befall the PTI leaders and supporters as well.  Just imagine, yelling and jeering at a lonely woman at a coffee shop is the most disgusting thing one can imagine, but the PTI  chief Imran Khan and his team are  totally silent on this act which means the party  had dispatched the hecklers to the coffee shop to perform this disgusting act.

As a matter of fact   this is not the first act of its kid. Eelier in April, a group of PTI supporters had accosted, heckled and chanted slogans  against Ms Aurangzeb and other member of PM Shehbaz  entourage outside the holy place of Masjid-i-Nabwi in Saudi Arabia in April this year. The then sad and unfortunate scenes of sloganeering at PM Shahbaz, Maryam Aurangzeb and others  outside the holy mosque was condemned by all including our religious scholars for showing disrespect to the vicinities of the holy places.  The PTI supporters did now show any sanctity for the vicinity of the holy mosque and were openly changing abusing slogans and even heckling Maryam Aurangzeb and other leaders. The purpose to say is that IK and his supporters did not spare the holy place for the purpose of dirty politics. That the act occurred during the last Ashara of Ramazan makes it even more deplorable during the month of Ramazan, Muslims avoid each and everything that is deplorable. This deplorable act was widely condemned by our religious scholars of different schools of thoughts and the civil society at large. Time has come to reflect on our acts which are damaging our county’s image as also our social fabrics, gnawing at the very roots of our society.

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 29 2022

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