Passenger sets luggage on fire to protest cancelled flight

A passenger on Thursday set his luggage on fire in protest against his flight being cancelled at the Islamabad International Airport (IIA).

Gilgit-bound Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-607 scheduled for 7am was first delayed due to technical reasons and cancelled later due to bad weather.

The passengers started chanting slogans against the airline and one of the passengers set fire to his luggage.

A Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson told SouthPunjab News the fire was put out by CAA fire fighters.

A video of the passengers arguing with PIA staff and pushing a senior staffer was uploaded on social media. The protestors were told that a special flight will be operated for them on Friday.

A PIA spokesperson said CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik talked to GB Law Minister Aurangzeb Khan, who was also going to travel on the flight, and told him that the flight had been cancelled due to bad weather. Another GB minister was also accompanying him.
Social media users are demanding the government to remove  Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Minister Fida Hussain and to take action against him for  allegedly insulting  a staff member at the Islamabad International Airport.

The users are outraged after  watching a video of the incident that has been making rounds on social media platforms.

In the video, a group of men  allegedly led by the minister, is seen arguing with a  man, who introduced himself as Arrival In-charge, over a flight delay due to bad weather.

When the in-charge asks  them to contact the Operations In-charge to understand the situation, he is grabbed by one hand and pushed so hard that he stumbles but due to sheer luck manages to not trip and fall.

Shocked and humiliated by the treatment meted out to him by the influential man, when the in-charge regains his balance and turns to look at the attacker helplessly, the minister once again runs toward him to attack him.