Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former information and broadcasting minister Fawad Chaudhry lashed out at a journalist after he was asked to comment on corruption allegations against Farah Khan, a close friend of former first lady Bushra Bibi.
During a press conference with PTI Secretary General Asad Umar, Shahbaz Gill and Ali Muhammad Khan, the former information minister was asked to comment on reports alleging that Farah Khan was involved in corrupt activities and had recently left the country with her husband.
Fawad, vexed at the question, claimed that the journalist (Matiullah Jan) was a “hired phoney” and that he knew where the reporter acquired his ‘bribe’ from. He also began hurling abuses at the reporter.
All the journalists present at the press conference were enraged at Fawad’s actions and demanded an apology from him, only for him to question why he should apologise and to whom.
Soon after, Fawad started his statement but was cut off by chants from the journalists who refused to listen to him.
Observing the severity of the situation, the other PTI leaders tried to convince the journalists to listen to Asad Umar instead, as they were boycotting Fawad Chaudhry and not the other PTI members.
Simultaneously, however, Fawad questioned why his colleague should speak instead of him and maintained that he had not told any lies. He demanded that he speak and everyone must listen.
The journalists, in protest, dropped their microphones on the dais and said that they would not allow Fawad to speak unless he apologised to the reported who he abused. The PTI leaders soon ended the press conference and left.
