As Quetta burned, Pakistan army played golf
Pakistan army is in the line of fire of social media after the Quetta terror attack.
Even as painful cries of terror victims and their kin were broadcast on TV, Pakistan army's publicity wing - the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) - tweeted a link to a golf tournament underway in Karachi announcing winners of the Day 4 of the event.
"During 4th day of 21st CNS open golf championship 2016 matches for the categories of Professionals, Amateurs, Senior & Junior Pros, ladies and juniors were played," read the link which had both Twitter and Facebook users in Pakistan up in arms.
During 4th day of 21st CNS open golf championship 2016 matches for the categories of Professionals, Amateurs,... https://t.co/ErU1lSJNbO
— ISPR (@ISPR_Official) August 8, 2016
— ISPR (@ISPR_Official) August 8, 2016
Social media users in Pakistan were aghast that on a day when almost 100 people had been killed in one of the worst terror attacks in Pakistan, its military brass far detached from ground realities was playing golf. "Sharam haya?" (Have you no shame?), read a Twitter link by foodie and photographer Saadia Bukhari in response to the ISPR tweet on golf.
@ISPR_Official sharam haya??
— SaadiaBukhari (@SaadiaBukhari) August 8, 2016
Journalist Mohsin Bilal went a step ahead hitting out at the insensitivity of the Pakistan army. "Please delete that tweet," he tweeted to ISPR telling the army to instead give details of action taken against terrorists who had killed innocent people.
@ISPR_Official plz dlet that twet.aj k din ap se ye umeed na the.quom ko golf mtches ki detail nhe terorts k khelaf jo kr rhy hai wo btain
— Mohsin Bilal (@mohsinsami85) August 8, 2016
"Aaj ke din aapse ye hummed nahi thi. Quom ko Golf matches ke details nahi, terrorists ke khilaf jo kar rahe hain woh batayen," (This is not expected of the Pakistan army. The people do not want details of golf matches but details of operations being undertaken against terrorists), wrote the young journalist.
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| Screenshot of ISPR's Facebook page with the images of the Karachi golf tournament going on as Quetta was rocked by the suicide attack. |
Though several people on social media requested the Pakistan army to take down the insensitive post on golf - the ISPR posted 18 pictures of the tournament in the lush green Karachi Golf Course. Two brigadiers, several colonels and captains and their kin took part in the four-day long golf tournament in Karachi.