SKARDU – July 26, 2025:
Gilgit-Baltistan’s Finance Minister, Engineer Muhammad Ismail, has sparked outrage after a video surfaced online showing him involved in a heated altercation — and ultimately a physical confrontation — with flood-affected residents in Ghanche district’s remote Ghursey village.
The video, now circulating widely on social media, has ignited condemnation from across the political spectrum, with many accusing the minister of displaying sheer arrogance and insensitivity toward citizens already struggling with the aftermath of severe flooding.
According to local accounts, villagers had been working together to collect stones and reinforce riverbanks after aggressive erosion wiped out large portions of their farmland. The efforts, driven entirely through community self-help, were seen as a desperate measure in the absence of government intervention.
When Minister Ismail’s convoy drove through the area, residents flagged down his vehicle, pleading for the release of previously announced funds meant for flood protection.
Witnesses say the minister reacted with visible frustration. In a tense verbal exchange with some elderly villagers, he reportedly shouted:
“We allocated Rs120 million for your area last year — and still it’s not enough? Go to hell!”
The remark stunned onlookers, with one elderly resident responding bluntly:
“You go to hell!”
Moments later, the situation took an ugly turn as the minister exited his vehicle and physically confronted the elderly man. The altercation was only broken up after members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) — including the party’s local district president — quickly stepped in to de-escalate the situation and coax the visibly enraged minister back into the car.
The video, raw and emotional, quickly made its way across social media platforms. Users were quick to condemn the finance minister’s behavior, calling it “a disgraceful display of unchecked power” and “a slap in the face of those struggling for survival.”
“Elected representatives should be serving their people, not assaulting them,” one user wrote.
Another commented, “This is what happens when power goes to their heads — they forget the hands that voted them in.”
Despite the backlash, there has been no official statement or apology from the minister or his office at the time of reporting.
The incident has once again raised uncomfortable questions about the conduct of public officials and their accountability in times of crisis — especially when the most vulnerable citizens are left fending for themselves.
