look news india
The so-called ‘smart lockdown’ imposed by the government of neighboring country Pakistan amid the deteriorating economy, energy crisis and internal political turmoil has sparked discussion all over the world. Anger and sarcasm of social media users have erupted simultaneously over these restrictions imposed in the name of dealing with the severe fuel shortage and electricity crisis in the country’s major cities Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Rawalpindi. On digital platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook, Pakistani people as well as netizens from all over the world are heavily criticizing celebrities considered close to the Shehbaz Sharif government and the army. There has been a tsunami of jokes and memes on social media, especially about former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi, which has once again made the cross-border crisis a topic of discussion at the international level.
The sharpest taunt on social media is being directed at former Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi. In fact, Afridi has often been seen active in anti-India rhetoric and inflammatory rallies or publicity campaigns regarding Kashmir, in tune with Pakistan’s ruling system and army. While sharing old videos and statements of Afridi, users started writing that ‘Now Afridi Saheb has no fuel left to hold fake rallies against India and run a convoy of vehicles in the name of Kashmir, hence smart lockdown had to be imposed in the country.’ Many users took a jibe at him and said that in a country which does not have diesel to run its hospitals and ambulances, former players from big platforms beat the drum of hollow patriotism day and night. Afridi’s pictures are being edited with empty petrol pumps and riding a bicycle and are being continuously shared on social media.
The Pakistani government has publicly claimed that this lockdown is a planned administrative step taken for pollution control and traffic management. However, international analysts and the general public of Pakistan themselves are flouting this claim. The ground reality is that Pakistan has no dollars left to import crude oil and petroleum products after its foreign exchange reserves have gone into the abyss. Due to shortage of petroleum, the country’s thermal power plants are not able to run at full capacity, causing severe load shedding of 12 to 16 hours across the country. To hide this economic failure and fuel famine, the government has imposed a ‘smart lockdown’ by closing schools, colleges, markets and offices, so that the daily consumption of petrol and diesel can be forcibly reduced.
Very unique and funny memes are going viral on social media regarding this new crisis of Pakistan:
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Silence at petrol pumps: While sharing pictures of Shahid Afridi standing with a cricket bat in front of empty fuel stations, it is being written, ‘Runs have not been made, now even the oil is over.’
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VIP convoy vs donkey cart: Users have created and posted videos of ministers being escorted by bullock carts and donkey carts in place of luxury convoys, with the caption – ‘Pakistan’s eco-friendly new future.’
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IMF Terms: In many memes, International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials have been shown holding the keys of Pakistan, where every light is switched off, where a new tranche of loan from the IMF is being ridiculed.
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People’s pain: In some emotional and sharp posts, common citizens wrote that on one hand people are standing in queues for flour and electricity, while on the other hand leaders and people like Afridi are sitting in TV studios and giving absurd speeches.
This is not the first time that Pakistan has become an object of ridicule at the global level due to its economic mismanagement. Even before this, Pakistan has become a laughing stock due to the government advice to drink less tea, sometimes a dish in wedding ceremonies and orders to close the markets at 8 pm. Now the attempt to suppress the energy crisis in the name of smart lockdown has exposed the government. Internet users from all over the world, including India, are commenting on the plight of Pakistan and writing that this was ultimately the fate of a country that made terrorism and anti-India its national policy. When a country indulges in politics of hatred instead of talking about development, technology and infrastructure, it has neither economy nor petrol to run its vehicles.