By Tariq Naqash in Dawn, November 28th, 2023
MUZAFFARABAD: Two members of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) cabinet, elected from the Pakistan-based Kashmiri refugees’ constituencies, shocked government officials and staff of a local hotel here on Monday as they scuffled with each other on some alleged business dealing.
The incident occurred in the porte cochère of the hotel where earlier a Youth Summit was held under the aegis of AJK sports, youth and culture department, with Prime Minister Anwarul Haq as the chief guest of its last session.
As the prime minister left the hotel premises along with some other cabinet members at the conclusion of the function, minister for transport Javed Butt and minister for sports, youth and culture Asim Sharif stayed behind in the drop-off line.
Witnesses told Dawn that they saw the duo talking to each other in whispers in a corner of the driveway which turned into shouts in a trice.
“I saw Mr Butt giving a kick and a punch to Mr Sharif,” one eyewitness said, but declined to be identified.
In response, Mr Sharif also gave Mr Butt a smack across his chest, he added.
According to him, he also heard Mr Butt hurling a torrent of abuses on Mr Sharif, amid calls [to the latter] to return him his Rs2 million.
“Give me back my 2,000,000 rupees which you owe me,” the eyewitness quoted Mr Butt as saying in Punjabi.
However, Mr Sharif dismissed his assertion, saying he did not owe any amount to him.
Another eyewitness also confirmed the account, adding that since the duo was standing on an edgy corner, Mr Sharif lost balance after receiving a kick from Mr Butt and fell onto the ground.
As the commotion drew the attention of everyone present in and around the driveway, the staff of both the ministers and some political activists rushed towards them and separated them from each other.
In the meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Muzaffarabad Nadeem Ahmed Janjua also arrived on the scene and whisked Mr Butt off to his official car. Mr Sharif was taken by someone else inside the hotel building, from where he left after some time.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1793079/two-azad-kashmir-ministers-scuffle-over-monetary-dispute
