WATCH: PM's aide quake comments send shock waves on social media
This is a sign that when tabdeeli comes even the ground gets restless, says Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan
This is a sign that when tabdeeli comes even the ground gets restless, says Firdous Ashiq Awan. SCREENGRAB: CAPITALTV
Social media users were shocked on Tuesday at the comments of Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, who appeared to be trivializing the devastating earthquake that ravaged parts of northern Pakistan.
The tremor measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale shook parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Punjab, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) leaving multiple people dead and injured.
Dr Firdous, who was speaking at the National Institute of Information Technology in Islamabad, was asked to comment on the calamity. And she, without realising the enormity of the situation, sought to trivialise it.
At least 19 dead, over 300 injured as earthquake jolts AJK, Punjab
“This is a sign that when tabdeeli [change] comes even the ground becomes restless…so this is a sign of change,” she could be heard saying in the video clip that has gone viral on social media platforms.
Dr Firdous, with a grin on her face, went on to add that “even the ground has shaken as it has not come to term with this tabdeeli”.
She was referring to the “change” that Prime Minister Imran Khan has been promising well before coming to power.
Perhaps Dr Firdous didn’t know the magnitude of the quake and the devastation it has caused, but then again she shouldn’t have made such insensitive comments without knowing the facts, according to social media users.
The video clip went viral on social media within no time, and users heaped criticism on Dr Firdous for her apparent apathy to the tragedy.
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Sherry Rehman castigated Firdous over the comments drawing parallels to "a monument in poor taste."
Television personality Maria Memon also hit out at the PM's adviser saying, "Is this supposed to be funny."
Journalist Ali Salman Alvi hit out at Dr Firdous for “casually joking about the earthquake, without realising that it could bring a devastating tragedy. This is beyond deplorable.
The special adviser continues to act like a loose cannon. Shameful and insensitive”.
While fellow journalist Benazir Shah also castigated the PM’s adviser over the remarks saying: “19 people dead, 300 injured. And this is what Firdous Ashiq Awan has to say.”
Murtaza Solangi, another member of the media fraternity, deemed the comments as “insensitive and irresponsible”.
Firdous' rebuttal
Looking at the scathing criticism on social media, Dr Firdous issued a video statement to “clarify” her comments.
“I have seen the video on social media and whatever I said is being taken out of context,” she said in the video statement posted on Twitter.
Dr Firdous claims that she had made the comments on how social media is changing the country and not on the earthquake.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hOjs5KAxbw
The tremor measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale shook parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Punjab, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) leaving multiple people dead and injured.
Dr Firdous, who was speaking at the National Institute of Information Technology in Islamabad, was asked to comment on the calamity. And she, without realising the enormity of the situation, sought to trivialise it.
At least 19 dead, over 300 injured as earthquake jolts AJK, Punjab
“This is a sign that when tabdeeli [change] comes even the ground becomes restless…so this is a sign of change,” she could be heard saying in the video clip that has gone viral on social media platforms.
Dr Firdous, with a grin on her face, went on to add that “even the ground has shaken as it has not come to term with this tabdeeli”.
She was referring to the “change” that Prime Minister Imran Khan has been promising well before coming to power.
Perhaps Dr Firdous didn’t know the magnitude of the quake and the devastation it has caused, but then again she shouldn’t have made such insensitive comments without knowing the facts, according to social media users.
The video clip went viral on social media within no time, and users heaped criticism on Dr Firdous for her apparent apathy to the tragedy.
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Sherry Rehman castigated Firdous over the comments drawing parallels to "a monument in poor taste."
Television personality Maria Memon also hit out at the PM's adviser saying, "Is this supposed to be funny."
Journalist Ali Salman Alvi hit out at Dr Firdous for “casually joking about the earthquake, without realising that it could bring a devastating tragedy. This is beyond deplorable.
The special adviser continues to act like a loose cannon. Shameful and insensitive”.
While fellow journalist Benazir Shah also castigated the PM’s adviser over the remarks saying: “19 people dead, 300 injured. And this is what Firdous Ashiq Awan has to say.”
Murtaza Solangi, another member of the media fraternity, deemed the comments as “insensitive and irresponsible”.
Firdous' rebuttal
Looking at the scathing criticism on social media, Dr Firdous issued a video statement to “clarify” her comments.
“I have seen the video on social media and whatever I said is being taken out of context,” she said in the video statement posted on Twitter.
Dr Firdous claims that she had made the comments on how social media is changing the country and not on the earthquake.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hOjs5KAxbw