Finance Minister Ishaq Dar became agitated with a reporter at the Parliament House on Thursday when questioned about the completion of the stalled International Monetary Fund (IMF) program. After addressing a session of the National Assembly, Dar was leaving the Parliament building when the reporter, Shahid Qureshi, approached him with questions. In a video of the incident shared by the journalist, Dar is seen walking down the stairs as Qureshi asks if he will speak that day. Dar responds by saying he had just finished speaking in the assembly. When the journalist inquires about the status of the IMF deal and the meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the IMF chief, Dar remains silent. Qureshi then asks why the government failed to secure the deal, to which Dar responds, “Because people like you are in the system.” The reporter defends himself, stating they are not part of the system and they are only asking questions. Dar becomes angry, asks the journalist what he wants, and tells him to fear God. Security personnel intervene and escort Dar to his vehicle. The journalist later released another video detailing the incident and claimed that Dar’s security guards grabbed and slapped him. The Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) issued a condemnation, stating that Qureshi faced violence and disrespectful behavior by Dar’s guards, demanding an apology from the minister and warning of a possible protest if no apology is given. The association also called on the National Assembly Speaker to take notice of the incident.
