Zakir Naik, the absconding Islamic preacher who is still milking massive flak over some of the controversial statements made so far on his Pakistan tour, seems to have angered his hardcore followers as well, and they are insisting that Islamabad made a "big mistake" by inviting him to the country, that too as a 'state guest'.
On Tuesday, a video of Naik went viral on Pakistani social media, where he is seen ridiculing Pakistan's national carrier PIA for charging excess baggage levied on him and his accompanying entourage.
"I was coming to Pakistan. Our luggage was 1000kg. I spoke to the PIA CEO. The station manager told me that he would do anything for me. I replied, 'I have 500 kg to 600 kg extra luggage.' He offered me a 50 per cent discount. I made it clear to him to give it for free or leave it," said Naik during one of his lectures in Karachi.
He further said: "I am let off free in India. They waive 1000-2000 kg on seeing me. And here, in Pakistan, where I am a guest of the government and 'state guest' is stamped on my visa, the CEO is offering me a 50 percent discount. I felt so disappointed. I told them I do not want your discount. I feel bad but this is the truth, this is the state of affairs in Pakistan."
Naik's announcement has not gone well with his Pakistani fans also.
"Whoever invited Zakir Naik, please don't invite him again! PIA should've asked for FULL price though. No real Islamic preacher would ever ask for special treatment—or at the very least, they wouldn't complain about it in public when they don't get it!" Pakistan content creator Saad Kaiser wrote on X.
"Is this the person the government invited as sort of a state guest? Look he is bad mouthing Pakistan and its national carrier. Who advised the govt to host him?" asked a Pakistani journalist. Some even put in a word of praise for PIA for not giving Naik any "special treatment" since he is wanted in India.
PIA you may be the 5th worst airline but you made me proud for letting down Dr. Zakir Naik and for that I will risk my life and book my next flight with PIA, Zoya posted on social media.
It had barely been a week since he arrived with his son Sheikh Fariq Zakir on a comprehensive tour of Pakistan at the invitation of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on September 30 from the Islamabad International Airport when Naik has been courting controversy.
He made headlines just as he had entered the exclusive news bandwagon when, on his first visit to Pakistan, he walked out of an event for orphan children in Islamabad and refused to present awards to young girls.
"Look at the dirty mindset: Dr. Zakir Naik refused to present shields to orphaned girls and left the stage, saying that the girls were Na-Muharram. How could such clerics objectify women sexually? Why couldn't he see these girls as daughters, with father-like love," said Sindh-based writer Zubair Soomro.
Soon after that, Naik-filmed wanted by New Delhi on charges for spreading religious hate and extremism along with alleged involvement in money laundering cases-face more flak for promoting a jihadist mentality when he rebuked a Pashtun girl for questioning him on the rising number of pedophiles in the country.
"This man Zakir Naik thinks 13-14 years old orphan girls are 'khawateen' (grown-ups) and he can't share the stage with them. He publicly criticizes national airlines for denying luggage fee waiver, also says that women who choose to remain unmarried instead of becoming a second wife to someone are public property (bazaari).He snubs a Pukhtun girl for asking a legit question about pedophilia. Despite all this, gained some more followers, & some brain-dead people are defending him, clearly we as a nation are MAGNET for arrogant people & women haters. State should invite reasonable people; we already have plenty of these roaming on the streets. Yeh Wrong Number Hai!!!!! "Absa Komal another journalist with a leading Pakistani media house posted on X on Tuesday. Indeed, Naik's much-publicized trip is not going the way the Pakistani establishment would have planned even after offering him all state protocol and foolproof security.
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