Abid Sher Ali, Pakistani family engage in brawl in London restaurant

LONDON: A Turkish restaurant here has clarified that Abid Sher Ali didn’t jump the queue and that he had pre-booked the tables for his family – after videos of Abid Sher Ali exchanging abuses with a Pakistani man identified as Shahid Khan went viral on the social media.

On Tuesday night, three sets of videos started circulating on the social media, one showing Abid Sher Ali abusing Shahid Khan, the other showing Khan abusing Abid Sher Ali and the third video carrying a statement by Shahid Khan’s son who covered his face while recording the video. On Wednesday, the former PMLN minister released his own video, explaining his version of events.

The first set of videos was sent to the media by Umar Butt who communicated on behalf of the Pakistani national in the restaurant and introduced him as “businessman Shahid Khan from East London.” In the video carrying statement of Khan’s son, who was seen recording the video, it was claimed that Abid Sher Ali jumped the queue with his family bypassing the other customers. But the Turkish “Gokyuzu Restaurant” said Sher Ali didn’t jump the queue and had a confirmed reservation for 20:30 on 20th July for 13 people. Ali also released the restaurant reservation details to the media confirming the booking.

Butt told the media that Shahid Khan was attacked by Abid Sher Ali when he was passing by his table. Then he released the video in which Shahid Khan’s son said that his mother and father approached Abid Sher Ali and questioned him for breaking the queue to get the table. The son quoted his mother as telling Abid Sher Ali “this is not Pakistan, where he could jump queues like the royals. In the UK everyone is equal. My mother also brought up the fact that he was having the meal courtesy the money of Pakistani people. Afterwards, Abid Sher Ali and a woman started abusing my mother and father.

The waiter eventually separated us and we left the restaurant.”In his statement Abid Sher Ali showed the hotel reservation and said: “There was a person in the restaurant who along with his wife attacked us. The son also used his mother to create a scene by giving her a placard and then confronting us. She started abusing me and later her husband joined her too.”

Accusing them of being PTI activists, the PMLN leader said it’s the culture of the PTI members to behave like this. “They wanted to make the videos viral on the social media but I responded in the same coin. The restaurant management threw them out. I warn the PTI members that it was just a trailer. We reserve the right to respond forcefully.” A PTI spokesman said he didn’t recognize Shahid Khan as an active member of the party.