Passengers on a flight from Karachi to Islamabad blocked two Pakistani lawmakers from boarding, complaining their flight was delayed for more than two hours because of the politicians’ late arrival.
Video of the September 15 incident on a Pakistan International Airlines flight was circulating on social media networks a day later, fueling an online debate about the VIP treatment of Pakistan’s politicians and military leaders.
A government official on September 16 confirmed the flight delay was partly due to the late arrival of the lawmakers -- opposition Pakistan People's Party's senator and former Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, a minority Hindu member of the ruling PML-N party.
Malik turned back without boarding the plane when one man demanded he apologize to all passengers on the plane.
Vankwani left the flight after passengers threatened to throw their shoes at him as a sign of disrespect and outrage.
