The Nation (May 6) says, “The similarities in India and Israel are striking when it comes to their years of history as perpetual oppressors.” (Representative/ Express file photo by Shuaib Masoodi)
Hypocrisy — domestic and international
With India’s elections around the halfway mark, there is much to comment on. Pakistani media has been paying attention to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speeches across the country and calling him out on his claims of Muslims as “infiltrators” and the INDIA bloc’s misconstrued stance on wealth distribution.
Express Tribune (May 8) points out the hypocrisy of the Election Commission of India that “sees no problem” when “Instagram — which is headquartered in the US, one of the free speech bastions of the world — has been taking down videos of Modi’s speeches specifically because they violate its rules on hate speech.”
Daily Times (May 8), meanwhile, criticises the international community which seems, “intent on turning a deaf ear to his [Modi’s] nauseating display of hate speech, which goes against the principles of democracy.” The editorial says that, “had it been any other country, particularly one not a member of the rich club, such an irresponsible and dangerous campaign would have already drawn outrage and condemnation from all corners of the globe.”
The Nation (May 6) says, “The similarities in India and Israel are striking when it comes to their years of history as perpetual oppressors.” Comparing Kashmir and Gaza, it writes: “It should not surprise us that India uses similar oppressive tactics in Kashmir as Israel does in Palestine and especially Gaza these days, right? Mass graves in Kashmir and excessive use of rape to inflict moral damage are well-documented crimes India has committed in Kashmir.”
Gwadar tragedy
Two days ago, seven barbershop workers from Punjab were killed and one injured in Gwadar’s Surbandar when unknown gunmen entered their residential quarters and opened fire on them while they were asleep. In two other incidents recently, Punjabi workers were killed in Nushki and Turbat. The media has expressed concern over the targeting of Punjabi workers in Balochistan.
Dawn (May 10) says, “While locals in Balochistan should be given preference in jobs, there can be absolutely no justification for targeting workers from outside the province trying to make an honest living there.”
News International (May 10) points to the inequality among states in Pakistan saying, “The idea of Pakistan as a federation is not to dismiss the grievances of smaller provinces but to give equal rights and autonomy to all provinces. Unfortunately, the people of Balochistan are still yearning for equal rights.”
May 9, a ‘dark day’
On the eve of the one-year anniversary of May 9, 2023, when former prime minister Imran Khan was arrested in a corruption case leading to riots across the country, President Asif Ali Zardari released a message calling it “a dark day in Pakistan’s history”. The general media narrative calls for the PTI to come together with other stakeholders to review and move past the situation.
Express Tribune (May 9) mentions the protestors that have been jailed and demands justice for the unfair treatment meted out to thousands of people who have been “overcharged” with terror charges. But the editorial also believes that, “If the party really hopes to mature into a party known for its governance, and not protest and resignation, they need to admit their own failings and work with others to fix the system for everyone.”
News International (May 8) refers to the press conference on May 7 by Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Major-General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry who began with talking about terrorism and quickly brought in May 9. The editorial observed, “From the tone and tenor of yesterday’s press conference, it is quite clear that there is no room — at least for now — for forgiveness for May 9… As the ISPR DG rightly pointed out, a political dialogue is for political parties, and not institutions.”
adya.goyal@expressindia.com
