PHOTO: Reuters
He was hailed a hero for calling out New Delhi’s draconian measures in occupied Kashmir and urged global leaders to stand up against the brutalities faced by the Kashmiri’s.
Leading American daily The New York Times published a headline that read, “Imran Khan Warns of Kashmir ‘Blood Bath’ in Emotional UN Speech.”
The New York Times noted that PM Imran’s speech was partly directed at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that “Modi, in his own speech earlier on Friday omitted any reference to Kashmir.”
“His only reference to Pakistan and Kashmir was oblique, saying India had long been a victim of terrorism,” it read.
The US publication also stated that PM Imran has reminded the world that Pakistan and India are both nuclear powers, using terms such as “genocide” to describe India’s intentions – whereas Modi in his speech portrayed India as a “peace-loving nation that had given the world Buddha’s philosophy of serenity”.
The headline of The Washington Post read, "Pakistan PM warns of ‘bloodbath’ in Kashmir; India PM silent".
The newspaper wrote about PM Imran's mention of a possible war between the two nuclear-armed countries, noting that "India’s prime minister took the opposite approach, skipping any mention of his government’s crackdown in the disputed region of Kashmir."
Referring to the premier's speech as "extemporaneous", the newspaper noted his warning of a potential bloodbath in Kashmir, adding that the people of the occupied valley will be radicalised by Indian occupying forces.
It also discussed the difference in speech styles between the two leaders - noting PM Imran's speech as spontaneous and Modi's more prepared.
"The difference in speech styles between the Indian and Pakistani leaders was striking, with Modi sticking closely to a prepared text and Khan appearing to speak off the cuff and riff. While the UN distributed a transcript of Modi’s speech moments after he finished talking, Khan’s had not been released hours later," it read.
Similarly, Al Jazeera also noted Modi's silence during his speech regarding the Kashmir issue.
It referred to PM Imran's speech as "an extraordinary attack" - mentioning the warning of a bloodbath in occupied Kashmir, once the curfew is lifted.
Al Jazeera also referred to his speech as "impassioned and at times apparently extemporaneous".
Khaleej Times published a headline that read, "Pakistan PM Imran Khan warns of a bloodbath when India lifts curfew".
It referred to his speech as "fiery" and "heated" - comparing his speech to PM Modi's, where there was "only an oblique reference to terrorism, taken to mean Pakistan".
It noted the premier's direct aim at Modi's racist ideology, accusing him of being a "life-long member" of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The newspaper also mentioned that people in IOK "have been waiting keenly for Khan's address, people were glued to their television sets".
It added that a member of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) praised PM Imran's speech.
"Sohail Iqbal Awan, a lawyer and political activist from the PML-N party, a rival to Khan's, praised the speech and predicted that the United Nations would have to "open its closed ears, eyes and mouth" on the Kashmir issue," it added.
Indian media also covered PM Imran Khan's speech at the UNGA session in New York.
Indian media
India Today's headline read, "Imran Khan brings up Kashmir, repeats war rhetoric in hour-long UNGA rant".
The biased report used words such as "alleged" and "claimed" while referring to PM Imran's statistics regarding torture faced by the people of the occupied region.
"Prime Minister Imran Khan yet again brought up the Kashmir issue," the article read.
It also published a picture that mentioned the number of times the premier used certain words during his UNGA speech, including Islam - a total of 71 times, terrorism - 28 times, Kashmir - 25 times and India - 17 times, among other words.
The Times of India and ANI both took similar stances in their articles - focusing on the duration of PM Imran's speech.
Times of India published its headline as "Imran's maiden UNGA speech exceeds time limit" and mentioned that half of the premier's address was "on India and Kashmir, drumming up hysteria about nuclear war".
It noted that a 15-minute time limit was given to each leader - with Modi speaking for 16 minutes and Imran for 50.
ANI published "At UNGA, Modi respects time limit, speaks for 17 mins; Imran rants against India in over 30 mins speech".
The newspaper noted that what stood out between the two leaders was the duration of their speeches, adding that Modi spoke for 17 minutes "well within the allotted time" and Imran exceeded the time limit "going to speak for more than half an hour with a red light constantly blinking".
Hindustan Times also mentioned PM Imran's 50-minute speech, adding that more than half of the speech "dwelt on Kashmir and tensions with India."
It also mentioned PM Imran's prediction of a bloodbath in the occupied valley, along with another potential Pulwama situation if any terror attack or violence occurs in IOK.
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