Federal minister Ali Haider Zaidi and boxer Amir Khan have engaged in a Twitter fight over taking credit for supporting former Pakistan number one squash player Riffat Khan.
Riffat Khan underwent knee surgery last week at Shiffa International Hospital to revive her career. She had earlier requested the Prime Minister Imran Khanto help her after Squash Federation, Sports Board and relevant authorities had refused to help her.
After media channels highlighted her story, former boxing champion Aamir Khan responded to her call and announced to help her. At the same time, Dr. Shireen Mazari, reportedly, said that minister Ali Zaidi, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, will bear all the expenses of Riffat’s operation.
Riffat was, then got operated on November 13 and was released from the hospital on 14th.
Following that, the British-Pakistani boxer tweeted the news item on Riffat’s improved health announcing that Aamir Khan Foundation supported her and paid for the athlete.
Ali Zaidi responded quickly to that tweet saying that it was his ministry, not Aamir Khan who paid for the operation.
“To set the record straight, PNSC paid for her operation! I heard Amir Khan offered to pay and many thanks for that, but Maritime government had already stepped in. Therefore, please take credit where it’s due,” tweeted the minister.
Replying to Ali Zaidi’s tweet, Aamir posted the bank transaction details on his twitter account saying he paid 334,569 rupees for the operation, the government didn’t.
Soon after these exhanges between the minister and the boxer, journalist Faizan Lakhani while replying to minister’s tweet said, “Actually both of you helped her. I have seen evidence of Amir sending her money & the athlete has also confirmed you both helped her. Aamir stepped in only after relevant people in government had refused to help her, you also reacted to same news story. You both deserve credit”.
In another interview post her surgery, Riffat had highlighted the government’s treatment towards her before her issue came to media.
“I was broken, disheartened and shattered by the insulting behavior and I was simply very upset with Acting PSB Director General Amna Imran, who should have realized my pain and agony, rather than keeping me waiting outside her office for an hour,” she had said.
