It began with Misbah-ul-Haq’s flawless century at Lord’s. In the wake of scoring that brilliant 100 in his debut test at English soil, our cool and calm skipper got down and did a few push-ups, much to the delight of the fans.
Despite the fact that Misbah’s push-ups were only a reference to the training camp exercise the team undertook at the military academy in Kakul, it didn’t prevent the group from going with the same pattern and doing a couple push-ups of their own in festivity of their triumph over England in the first Test.
They would have never imagined the impact of this act of theirs and how it would get so much appreciated by the Pakistanis. Right after the famous victory at the Mecca of cricket, there was a buzz created on the social media with the videos of Pakistanis all over the world doing push-ups in celebration of the team`s victory.
At first the Push-up challenge (or #pushupchallenge) was a hit due to its athletic implications. But achieved next level when social media buffs started challenging each other. With more and more people joining in, including celebrities, the trend became almost an obsession surrounding a national fitness regime. However, the craze eventually faded away as is the nature of anything that is viral.
The push-up trend came into the limelight, once again, when the Sindh Sports Minister challenged his Punjab equivalent to a push-up challenge. The video features the newly appointed minister Sardar Muhammad Bux Khan Mahar, or ‘Chief’ (who is well-known on social media for his ‘swag’) doing 50 ‘push-ups’ and the asking Abid Sher Ali to follow. The challenge was then taken up by Zarrar Khoro of Zara Hat Ke fame and our very own Dr Aamir Liaqat Husain.
Fascinatingly, however, the Sports Minister’s challenge soon molded the trend into a protest. Around a dozen sportsmen from District Ghotki (the Chief`s home district) recorded their protest in the language their “Chief” comprehends. They performed push-up in the lone cricket stadium in the area. The aim of this movement was to shed light on authorities to the condition of the stadium, which is filled with rubbish and stagnant water.
The challenge transformed as previously it was entertaining, but now it started to highlight social issues. Thought it is still early to test the effectiveness of the movement but it cannot be denied that it is highlighting a real problem faced by not only the sportsmen of District Ghotki but also by many Pakistanis- the garbage and filth issue. ,
Lately, a lot of people are seen posting videos and photos of themselves with heaps of garbage in the background on social media with hashtags like #KarachiKaKachra, #CleanIT and #CleanPakistan. These videos and pictures are shedding more light to the issue.
In response, several campaigns as the much controversial #FixIt and #KachraFestival have come to light. While these campaigns primarily strive to bring the authorities attention to the situation, Zameen.com’s recently launched #CleanYourZameen initiative urges people to take ownership of their ‘Zameen’. Following the format of Ice Bucket Challenge, the campaign’s aim is to get more and more people involved into the process, ultimately turning into a small movement of sorts.
The video was posted on Zameen.com`s social media pages on 14th August and involves company employees tidying up a polluted part on Lahore`s M.M Alam Road and afterwards challenging five other companies- Careem, Auto Genie, Shopistan, Sarcasmistan and Brighto Paints. With over 230 thousand views in a week’s time, the initiative has so far been well received.
The public’s positive response to campaigns like #CleanYourZameen, #KachraFestival and #FixIt is proof of the fact that Pakistanis are fed up with the conditions of their cities. However, so far, all the campaigns launched cater to the issue creatively.
We ought to take pride in our soul of development. With the right demeanor we may even unravel the issue for the last time!