A day after being treated badly by a group of people at a food outlet, Federal Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal said he put this case to the “court of the people” and would not press charges because women and children were involved.

“Imran Khan needs serious psychiatric treatment,” he said while addressing a press conference in Lahore on the incident at a fast-food restaurant where a group of people had an argument with him and shouted that he was a “thief”.

The verbal assault took place in Sargodha’s Bheera city on Friday and was captured on video which went viral.

Iqbal said that heckling showed “grave illness in society”, adding that the verbal assault did not bring any harm to him but it should to their leaders.

“I have been in politics for the past 30 years,” he said, “and I thank God that the Narowal public has led me to win by a 70,000 votes margin in the election.”

The planning minister urged the “silent people” to condemn the heckling.

He wondered at the intensity of PTI workers, who act as their leader said. “I want to ask PTI workers are your leader sincere with you the way you are with him?”

Iqbal alleged that the track record of PTI chief Imran showed that he used people and “wasted them like tissue paper”.

“If he [Imran] had not been in cricket he had not been in Oxford. He deceived his brother [Majid Khan] and got him out of the cricket team,” the minister said, adding that the former premier got support from past leaders and estranged leaders to achieve goals.

‘Youthian family’

In a series of tweets, Iqbal described the family arguing as a ‘youthian family’. “Youthia” is a slang word used for PTI followers on social media and in political circles.

“Today, there was a [verbal] clash at Bheera’s McDonald’s with a youthian family who seems to consider themselves elite but instead of dialogue they started chanting slogans like ignorant people,” he said.

The minister added that their shouting prompted others at the outlet to join in. He squarely laid the blame on PTI Chairman Imran Khan for inciting and normalising abusive behaviour.

Iqbal thanked people and silent supporters who condemned the attack, saying: “Those who had been shot do not fear such riots.” He lamented the way former PM Imran was “leading PTI’s followers”.

A gunman, who was identified as Abid Hussain, on May 6, 2018, shot and injured Iqbal while he was visiting his constituency in Narowal. Iqbal had just attended a rally in the city when he was hit in the arm.