US troops’ recent arrival in Islamabad sparked a mixed reaction from Pakistanis. While some appreciated Pakistan’s role in the evacuation process, many mocked the US defeat in Afghanistan.
Among the host of mockery on social media, an image showing US troops at Panah Gah shelter made the rounds on Twitter. According to the image, several US troops were sitting at a table with “Panah Gah” written in Urdu on the back wall.
Panah Gah, under the Ehsaas program by PM Khan, is a charity drive. It aims to provide food and shelter to people. Netizens shared the image while mocking the US troops. They stated that the US used to ignore Pakistan, but now it needs the country’s help and “charity.”
Read more: Dutch PM thanks Pakistan for support in evacuation efforts
What Netizens failed to notice was that the image was photo-shopped. The original image of the US soldiers at the dinner table was taken at the Bagram air base in 2013. Moreover, the troops gathered around the table for their Thanksgiving meal.
Taking to Twitter, PTI Senator Faisal Javed Khan slammed Netizens and called them out for spreading fake images. By quoting a text from the Holy Quran on verification of news, Javed Khan uploaded the original image. He also requested that people do not turn Ehsaas Panah Gah shelter into a controversy.
“Please do not make Ehsaas Panah Gah shelters controversial,” the Senator tweeted.
ارشاد باری تعالیٰ !
اے لوگو جو ایمان لائے ہو، اگر کوئی فاسق تمہارے پاس کوئی خبر لے کر آئے تو تحقیق کر لیا کرو، کہیں ایسا نہ ہو کہ تم لوگوں کو نادانستہ نقصان پہنچا بیٹھو اور پھر اپنے کیے پر پشیمان ہو۔
Quran 49:6گزارش ہے کہ برائے مہربانی احساس پناہ گاہوں کو متنازعہ نہ بنائیں pic.twitter.com/tblHiWkp0f
— Faisal Javed Khan (@FaisalJavedKhan) August 31, 2021
The PTI Senator also asked netizens to respect the volunteers and workers of the shelter.
US troops arrive in Pakistan?
Sunday, a special army flight from Kabul containing US troops landed in Islamabad airport. According to details, the city’s hotels will accommodate the troops. As suicide attacks rock Kabul, mass evacuations are being conducted.
On this note, the government asked the administrations of Rawalpindi and Islamabad to make arrangements for accommodating more than 15,000 people from Afghanistan in the next two or three weeks.
Read more: US troops landing in Pakistan sparks debate on Twitter!
The evacuated personnel also included US troops who are staying in Islamabad. The arrival sparked controversy as the government faced criticism both from the opposition and the citizens.
The opposition accused the government of hosting the evacuees through the public’s money. On the other hand, Twitteratis poked fun at PM Khan’s earlier “Absolutely Not” statement.
As a response, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed clarified that Pakistan is only providing transit facilities. He further lashed out at the opposition and called it irresponsible for failing to understand the volatile international political environment.
Read more: Sheikh Rasheed lashes out, calls Opposition irresponsible