Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Deputy General and Spokesperson Attaullah Tarar is being criticised on social media after a video of him went viral, where he can be seen showing the middle finger in the Punjab Assembly after being asked by the speaker to leave.
The incident took place during a session of the Punjab Assembly on Monday, where the Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had asked Tarar and his colleagues to leave the Assembly.
As he left, the opposition started chanting ‘go Tarar go’, at which point Tarar, who was clutching a copy of the Constitution, turned around to face them and lifted his hand up and made the offensive gesture.
People on social media are not thrilled about his action, which seems to violate the sanctity of the Assembly. Even worse, the indecent gesture was made while holding a copy of the Constitution, which only added insult to the injury for many.
Constitution and middle finger do not go together. Particularly painful when shown by a lawyer who could argue his case by words and not his finger. Tarar will take years to explain this moment of emotional gusto! pic.twitter.com/X1ssWEhkMa
— Amir Mateen (@AmirMateen2) June 13, 2022
Atta tarar giving respect to constitution of Pakistan#Middlefinger pic.twitter.com/1SryDhrQ5d
— Hassnain Javed (@hassnain782) June 13, 2022
There were a lot of remarks about how ‘educated’ ‘decent’ individuals should not stoop to such behavior, and people referenced how his family name bears a lot of respect.
Actual point of concern isn't what Atta Tarar did but why he did it. Why did an educated man decide to act the way he did? Because more than merit, quality of person, character or manners, his party rewards absolute subservience to one family. Either become a slave or be gone.
— Z. Zulqarnain Sahi (@ZafarSahi) June 14, 2022
This image is true representation of what’s precisely wrong with this country. Rich & powerful can get away with anything showing middle finger to the state & constitution of Pakistan.
Had it been some decent country with rule of law, Atta Tarar would have been banned for life! https://t.co/pL6OgGDM2k
— ✨Mishhh✨ (@chaoticmemoires) June 14, 2022
It's very shameful act atta tarar did he is well educated person but very bad attitude https://t.co/gD02Ma128l
— Navveed Akhter (@NavveedAkhter) June 14, 2022
What Atta Tarar did in the Assembly is not at all acceptable in the civilized society. What he did is total disgrace to the Tarar family. The family holds a very respectable position in our society.
— Syed Kashif Ahmed (@syedkashif70) June 14, 2022
A portion of people attributed Atta Tarar’s gesture to be reflective of PMLN, which he belongs to.
Atta Tarar, Punjab govt spokesperson and PMLN Dep Sec Gen, gives us a visual representation of government attitude towards the people pic.twitter.com/XDqS4hCbQx
— Sana Jamal (@Sana_Jamal) June 14, 2022
https://twitter.com/travelfreak_ak/status/1536430213864869892
Following the backlash, Atta issued an ‘apology’ on Twitter. He justified his action by saying that the Speaker had sent a ‘force’ to unconstitutionally oust him from the Punjab Assembly, adding that when he decided to walk-out from the Assembly for the ‘betterment of the people’, he was met with expletives.
“I was met with insults on my way out, at which I turned to the opposition benches and gave them an equal response,” he said, adding, “If anyone was offended, I apologize, it was wrong.”
This would have been grave enough had this been a regular session, but the session where the untoward incident took place was meant to debate the Punjab budget.
The problem here is that Atta’s ‘clarification’ was a non-apology. He tried to justify his act of flipping off the opposition while Assembly is in session and then he apologized only for hurting people’s sentiments, while ignoring how he disrespected the Constitution and the decorum of the Assembly.
Until our parliamentarians learn to stop the ‘whataboutism’ that is so rampant in the political discourse today, we will not make any significant progress. Two wrongs don’t make a right. And as people have been pointing out, Atta should have definitely thought before he acted.
