Daily Times

Pakistan is the number one country in seeking Facebook censorship, reported Waseem Abbasi

Indians and Americans are religious and racial bigots

The United States has immeasurable clout in Pakistan, Mr. Irshad Ahmad Arif wrote in Daily 92 News on November 23. He approvingly quoted the late Lt. Gen. Hameed Gul as saying that important civil and military positions are not given to any individuals without the U.S. approval. Air Marshal Shahid Lateef agrees with him, wrote Mr Arif. The establishment has conducted itself well vis-à-vis its love-hate relationship with the United States. On four occasions Pakistan resisted the US pressure and preferred its national interest: the establishment of Pakistan-China relations, completion of nuclear programme, refusal to sign the CTBT and to send troops to Iraq. He also wrote that like the Indian people, the Americans are also extremely emotional.  Both are religious and racial bigots. They suffer from the disease of superiority complex.

Qadianis are traitors to the country and the nation

According to Dunya (November 23), Majlas-i-Ahrar-i-Islam and Tehreek-i-Tahafuz Kham-i-Nabuwat organized a two-day annual conference in Chenab Nagar (Rabwa), where Qadianis (who like to be called Ahmadis) were declared traitors to the country and the nation. Syed Ataul Mohaiman Bukhari said that the war against Qadianis would continue until they give up their deception. Another speaker said that the constitution had many defects. He argued that it should amended to declare non-Muslims unfit for the position of Senate chairman, because he becomes acting president whenever the president goes abroad. At the conclusion of the conference, thousands of its participants organized a procession and shouted slogans at the top of their voices.

Like the Indian people, the Americans are also extremely emotional. Both are religious and racial bigots. They suffer from the disease of superiority complex

Urdu media promotes emotionalism

Rao Manzar Hayat pleaded in Express (November 24) that we should not antagonize the United States. Despite China’s ascendency, the United States is still the sole superpower. President Trump’s tweet is being responded to in a tit-for-tat way. Nobody is ready for a dispassionate reflection. Inter-state relations are not conducted in this manner. Political and media pundits are engaged in rabble-rousing. Unfortunately, Urdu media promotes emotionalism. Reasoned argument has little room there. The English-language media is somewhat better, but the number of its consumers is extremely small and it is constantly dwindling.

Nawa-i-Waqt calls Ajmal Kassab an Indian citizen

Nawa-i-Waqt reported in its issue of November 23 that an Indian officer had exposed that the Indian propaganda on the 26/11 terror attack was a false. India maligned Pakistan for so many years by declaring Ajmal Kassab a Pakistani citizen. He was not a Pakistani. He was a resident of Bidhoona tehsil of Auraiya district in UP. He has been issued a domicile certificate on October 21, 2018. The Times of India (November 18) quoted SDM Bidhoona Pravendra Kumar a domicile certificate of Ajmal Kasab had been issued against the submission of fake documents by some identified person. Nawa-i-Waqt called this claim false, saying that getting a domicile certificate was much more difficult in India than Pakistan.

Pakistan No 1 in Facebook censorship

Pakistan is the number one country in seeking Facebook censorship, reported Waseem Abbasi in Jang (November 18). It made 2,203 complaints to Facebook in the first half of 2018. The complaints pertained to blasphemy, anti-state stuff and pornography. In addition, Muhammad Nadeem, acting chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) told a Senate committee in June 2018 that the PTA had blocked over 819,944 websites in recent years.

Anti-Pakistan forces have pounced on the country in unison

Nawa-i-Waqt (November 18) quoted Allama Muhammad Ahmad Ludhianvi, former of Sipah-Sahaba Pakistan, as saying that Afghanistan was involved in the murder of Maulana Samiul Haq. He was addressing a condolence reference for Maulana Samiul Haq at the Hockey Ground in Aabpara, Islamabad. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should raise this issue with Afghanistan and seek the murderer’s extradition to Pakistan, he said. Maulana Saimul Haq also talked of unity and he always worked to promote unity. He should be declared the Shaheed-i-Pakistan (the Martyr of Pakistan). Sardar Atiq Ahmad, former prime minister of AJK, Maulana Fazlur Rahman Khalil, Abdullah Gul, Maulana Zahidur Rashidi and Mian Aslam, deputy chief, Jamaat-i-Islami and former member of the National Assembly, also spoke on the occasion. Anti-Pakistan forces have pounced on the country in unison, they said.

The writer did his master’s in media and communications at the London School of Economics. He has worked for several English-language newspapers. He has written a book, Handbook of Functional English, for the benefit of those who wish to improve their English skills. He can be reached at shakil.chaudhary@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, November 27^th 2018.