Current Final

Internet reacts as CM Afridi ‘replaces Pakistan flag with PTI’; Claim regarding Jinnah’s portrait busted

Written by

News Desk

in

After much drama involving his predecessor and the opposition, Sohail Afridi of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has finally the assumed office of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) chief minister (CM). However, his alleged moves on the very first day as the provincial chief executive is all anyone can talk about.

Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Wednesday administered the oath of office to newly-elected CM Afridi at the Governor House, marking an end to the tense political standoff and days of uncertainty in the province.

While the ceremony itself descended into chaos as party workers rushed to the stage to extend well-wishes to the new CM, chanting slogans that disrupted further proceedings, it was his alleged removal of Pakistan’s flag and Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s portrait from his office, which took the internet by storm.

According to netizens, CM Afridi had the Pakistan flag next to that of the KP government in his office replaced with one of the PTI. While he switched to a tiny national flag on his table, his alleged removal of Jinnah’s portrait – which internet claims was replaced with that of PTI founder Imran Khan – also did not sit well with a number of social media users.

Although the claim regarding Jinnah’s portrait was rubbished as soon as supporters posted a photo captured from a different angle, the table flag kept drawing strong reactions.

Some even went on to share National Flag Rules, as per which, if the national flag is alongside any other flag, the national flag should be higher.

Amid a battle of words between supporters and critics over social media, the KP government is yet to react to the controversy that seems to have added to what experts claim is rather challenging terrain for CM Afridi ahead.

Afridi’s appointment as CM followed directives from PTI founder Imran Khan amid rifts within the party, which had led to a public feud between outgoing KP CM Gandapur and Khan’s sister Aleema Khan.

It also comes at a time when cracks between the KP and federal governments seem to be widening due to governance issues and the provincial setup’s failure to crackdown on terror activities, as also highlighted by the military leadership during a briefing last week.

More posts