Daniyal says slapping incident was ‘pre-planned’, Naeem says it wasn’t

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–PML-N leader says PTI wanted to provoke him, but PTI leader says incident was ‘unfortunate spur of the moment reaction’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Federal Minister for Privatisation Daniyal Aziz on Wednesday remarked that the slapping incident that took place on the set of a private news channel on Tuesday night was a pre-planned move of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to provoke him.

“It shows the frustration of PTI leaders and their handlers,” Aziz said while talking to journalists outside the judicial complex in the federal capital.

“Despite throwing their weight behind the Pakistan Army and the judiciary, their public support dwindles daily, leading to internal rifts between the top leadership,” he said, adding that instead of promoting Pakistan along the lines of development, PTI was promoting a culture that is polarising Pakistani society. He added they were setting “elements of a fascist state in motion“.

When asked if he would pursue the matter legally, Aziz questioned the use of pursuing the matter in court and referred to PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s acquittal in the SSP torture case. He further alleged that the act was caught on camera and broadcasted live while the “Supreme Court buckled under PTI-led contempt through lockdown of the capital and then reversed its order” and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was “humbled into withdrawing contempt proceedings” against the PTI leader.

Aziz said the PTI will suffer in the upcoming elections because they have been collecting people left and right for their political party, which will lead to their downfall in the upcoming elections.

Meanwhile, talking to the media outside the accountability court conducting corruption proceedings against him, Nawaz Sharif criticised “PTI’s culture”, while weighing in on the slapping incident, in which PTI’s Naeemul Haque physically assaulted PML-N’s Daniyal Aziz on live television.

“Situation is quite sad,” lamented the former premier.

Earlier, on Tuesday night, Imran Khan’s Spokesperson Naeemul Haque slapped Aziz on air during a live programme telecast on Geo News.

The privatisation minister apparently called Naeemul Haque ‘chor‘ (thief) on which the latter could not keep his calm and spontaneously slapped the minister.

Reflecting on the incident, Haque termed it an “unfortunate spur of the moment reaction.”

He tweeted, “While it was an unfortunate spur of the moment reaction, Daniyal Aziz’s abusive language against PTI leadership and his attack on Pakistan army are regrettable unacceptable and condemnable. I hope he can mend his ways and stop spinning mistruths.”

 

Earlier in 2011, Naeemul Haque threw a glass containing water at a Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Jamil Somro on air after which he left the studio during the live telecast.