Spurned on every international forum and from almost all countries, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan resorted to a bizarre diktat for his citizens to stand for 30 mins every Friday in order to register their protest against India’s move to abrogate Article 370. However, today, on the first Friday to observe his decree, failed spectacularly as people of Pakistan exhibited little interest in following their Prime Minister’s command.
Many videos have emerged where angry Pakistanis can be seen censuring Pakistan PM Imran Khan for his edict for ordinary Pakistanis to stop doing their work for 30 mins. Slamming Imran Khan’s move, many prominent Pakistani personalities have tweeted abysmal participation of people in the initiative.
Salman Rashid, a renowned author of 10 books in Pakistan, claimed that he climbed the roof to see how many “morons” (Pakistanis) came out on streets following their PM’s command. However, he said that not a soul had come out to join the protest. He proceeded to say, “Sala chootiyon ko chootiya bana rahe hai”.
https://twitter.com/odysseuslahori/status/1167335431479934976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
In a video shared by a quick-witted Pakistani journalist Naila Inayat, only four Pakistanis can be seen listlessly trying to stop traffic in Lahore’s busy Liberty square. However, not a single car, nor pedestrians strolling around the square bothered to join the protest with them.
https://twitter.com/nailainayat/status/1167358782676045824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Naila also shared two other videos in which distressed Pakistanis are seen protesting against Imran Khan’s move. Traffic has been halted at many places but people are now questioning, what the government actually aims to achieve by having such nationwide protest.
https://twitter.com/nailainayat/status/1167349336868564993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
In another video shared by Naila, one Pakistani citizen who appeared agitated by Khan’s decision to hold a protest across the nation by standing silently for 30 minutes said that it’s of no use as “Modi would fly from above”.
https://twitter.com/nailainayat/status/1167355989517131776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
In most places where the traffic stopped by police or activists by blocking the roads. Many Pakistani netizens questioned the purpose of the move, asking what it has achieved apart from causing traffic jam.
https://twitter.com/AzraNaqvi4/status/1167371180724162560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js In a hilarious concidence, Pakistan Railway minister, while addressing a public rally during Kashmir hour suffered an electric shock just after he mentioned PM Modi in his speech.
https://twitter.com/NooriBadat/status/1167359381567967232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Pakistan PM Imran Khan had issued orders for government functionaries and departments to conform to his announcement of leaving their work and join the protest in solidarity with Kashmiris by standing for 30 minutes from 12 PM to 12:30 PM PST.
Even the Pakistan Railway trains were also forced to join the protest as per the PM’s order. All the trains that run in Pakistan, all 138 of them, stopped for 1 minute today and the Pakistani national anthem was played during that time. One only wonders if Pakistani planes flying in Pakistan also had to stop mid-air for a minute to adhere to Imran’s diktat.