The paper criticised Islamabad for not voting for Emirates in Expo 2020 bidding. PHOTO: DUBAI EXPO 2020 FACEBOOK PAGE
Nizam, a Pakistani resident in the UAE, recently cancelled his 10-year-old subscription of the Gulf News. Saad Suliman, too, unsubscribed to the newspaper as well as the daily email alerts, and deleted the Gulf News smartphone application.
Similarly, many Pakistanis in the UAE are following suit and are actively participating in a social-media campaign against the Dubai-based newspaper after it published an editorial on Sunday titled “Pakistan and Afghanistan betrayed a friend”.
The editorial, published on the newspaper’s front page on December 15, accuses its close allies – Pakistan and Afghanistan – of refusing to vote for Dubai in the bidding held in Paris last month for the Expo 2020. The newspaper said that according to their sources, the two countries turned their backs on Dubai.
In the same issue, another editorial was published on its opinion pages titled “Expo 2020 vote: UAE deserves answers from Pakistan and Afghanistan”. Though Dubai won the bidding, the newspaper said that they want explanations as to why the two ‘friends’ did not vote for the city. The editorial expressed disappointment as the UAE has invested politically and economically in both the countries and the country is a key financial supporter of infrastructure and development projects in Pakistan. The editorial on the website received 981 responses before it was closed down for comments.
The editorials triggered reactions from the Pakistan government and the community. Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told The Express Tribune that the editorial was malicious and its content is far from reality. She said Turkey approached the Pakistan government in 2011 for support in the Expo 2020 bidding and the latter agreed. A year later, when the UAE approached the Pakistani government, they were informed about their prior commitment to Turkey. “However we told the UAE that in case Turkey withdraws or loses, we will support the UAE in other rounds – and that’s exactly what we did. We voted for them after Turkey lost. The UAE officials even later thanked us for the support,” she explained.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani community in the UAE has turned towards social media to express their anger and demand the newspaper issue a front-page apology.
On Facebook, a page ‘We demand an apology from Gulf News’ has been made that has received over 5,000 likes. Page administrator Omar Wynne told The Express Tribune, “The page was made to serve as a platform where everyone hurt and enraged by the Gulf News editorial, which was biased and fabricated, could share their sentiments.”
Wynne, a Pakistani who lives in Abu Dhabi, says that he does not have a specific number of cancelled subscriptions but can confirm it is in the thousands – people have also refused the free Gulf News copies they used to receive.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2013.
COMMENTS (37)
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@O B Server: Karachi is a bustling metropolis. It is an important center of economic activity. Gwadar is just beginning to grow.
Please bear in mind that our religion advises us patience and understanding, lets practice what we are taught, good results certainly will follow.
the Pakistani community should lodge a strongly worded protest and demand an apology for the wrong statement by the concerned newspaper, nothing more nothing less.
even the ignorant teach us, that it pays to be a well knit community where ever] you are.
@Moiz Omar. Why did Pakistan not follow its own advice and develop Karachi or Gawadar?
@Albert Brooks:
Atleast be a man and come up with your real name. Its surprising how hindus hate islam but jump at the first chance to accept a menial job in the strict and conservative 100% muslim gulf countries. Atleast we are not remotely employed by hindus. Also, you must be blinded by hate not to see the sentence above: The UAE officials even later thanked us for the support.
@Imran Iqbal: Dear what else do you expect from indians that have conquered Gulf News??
Pakistan would have changed the position had UAE offered some $ to a beggar nation. Why Pakistan had not inquired with UAE before making a promise to Turkey. Yes, UAE believes in Indians more than Pakistanis for various reasons. Introspect yourself Pakistanis;
It is really disgusting and clarifies that Gulf News editorials are not aware or familiar behind the scene. In fact Pakistan vote for U. A. E after the commitment done in the form of the lost of Turkey... I think Gulf News must apologize for such unbiased editorial.
Why the fuss? Is Pakistan an emirate of the UAE? Besides, having lived in UAE for 11 years, everyone knows that Gulf News is sensationalist paper run mainly by the Indians there.
With all due respect to the Pakistan community in Dubai, it's really not right for you to bring "Indian" or "Indians" into this since you claim this is the work of the Indians working at Gulf News.
It's really sad to know (once again), how everything so easily becomes an Indo-Pak issue. The focus is on your country's foreign policy. There's really no need for trying to turn the focus on another country that is not involved with this story or for you to take it personally.
I agree with anon. Indians here are the problem creating beings for Pakistanis. They would not leave a single attempt go by to humiliate and insult the pakistani community or Pakistanis in general. They have an extreme and a strange level of grudge against us which is there inside every Indian. An Indian person has no religion, he is just an Indian and that is his religion. The Muslim Indians are the worse among them . I stay in dubai and see them and deal with them everyday, they are not someone you can ever trust or befriend.
I've been a subscriber for over 10 Years and refused recent renewal and never again..... I am glad I didn't renew despite various calls / visits over last 2 months. I could feel the bias increase over last few years but this was too much & too far. Good riddens.
What nationalities are in the working Editorial team !!!!!! There you have your answer !!!
Who are Gulf News employees ??? ALL INDIANS This is more like opinion of indians
I have lived in both the UAE and Kuwait. I can confirm that some Indians will use any opportunity to make mischief or malign Pakistan whenever it arises, using lies, distortions and half-truths. The Pakistan Foreign Office should take up this matter with their UAE counterparts and nail this Indian canard.
@Mirza: BD was never in Our Friend list....
The article published in the gulf news was not a government statement, it was an opinion of the newspaper editor. However, the concerns raised by the Pakistani community in the UAE are valid for a number of reasons:
First and foremost, the tone of the editorial reflected malice and ill intent to create a negative image of Pakistan amongst UAE residents and deteriorate otherwise friendly ties bw Arabs and Pakistanis.
Even if it was an opinion, it reflection just one side of the story without bothering to mention that Pakistan had committed to Turkey in March 2011, at a time when UAE had not even submitted it's bid for Dubai as a candidate city for Expo 2020. Moreover, it also did not mention that as soon as Turkey withdrew it's bid after the first round, Pakistan whole heartedyl supported UAE for the last two rounds which result in a victory for them, something that was acknowledged by the foreign minister of UAE through a statement of thanks and appreciation.
Moreover, for me the most surprising aspect of this new article is to have an 'opinion' printed on the front page of a national newspaper accusing a state of betrayal on unfounded facts and the use of words like "we demand an explanation" to "reconsider our relationship with Pakistan" and countless accounts of how UAE has helped poor Pakistan through financial and development aid.
Cyber Endians are taking over the Gulf countries, the irony is that these Endians love to criticize Islam and Arabs but they don't mind working in the Gulf, making money.
They will vote for Modi, but will still prefer to stay in a Gulf country for the money and quality of living they could never get in their country.
The UAE wouldn't be at 1/3 of where they are now if it wasn't for Pakistan. Pakistan provided the advice, training, people, everything they needed to build themselves. One example of this is of Emirates.
Turkey approached the Pakistan government in 2011 for support in the Expo 2020 bidding and the latter agreed. A year later, when the UAE approached the Pakistani government, they were informed about their prior commitment to Turkey. “However we told the UAE that in case Turkey withdraws or loses, we will support the UAE in other rounds – and that’s exactly what we did. We voted for them after Turkey lost. The UAE officials even later thanked us for the support,”
Lets not be SENTIMENTAL and respond this allegation on social media by spreading it to friends. Pen power is POWERFUL than a sword !!!!
I know not all Indians are like that (I know some and they are great people), but to the ones who are: Please get a life, take Pakistan out of your obsessive minds and life will be beautiful once again!
We cannot expect anything sane when Indian are present on the Gulf News editorial team.
A formal rejoinder and letters of protest to the editor of Gulf News are in order. Simply unsubscribing the publication won't be of much use.
@Muhammad: Gulf News is hardly run by Arabs. It's effectively an Indian-run newspaper. The UAE Arab government thanked us for our support and that's all that matters. A maliciously-crafted newspaper editorial can't change the reality.
I live in Dubai and you guys need to all keep in mind that this petty editorial was penned by an Indian Editor. The newspaper Gulf News is mostly full of Indians and this is not the first time they have run a Pakistani bashing article. Indians will look for an excuse to be petty at every opportunity you find, whether a newspaper or workplaces. If you dont believe me verify this with any of your Dubai based friends on what the reputations of Indians here is.
@Someone: Even though we had our reasons, why do we have to defend ourselves on who we vote for? The Arabs aren't our masters.
@Mirza: What have you been drinking man????
Wasn't UAE supporting an insurgency in Baluchistan some years back ?
Bravo - i was shocked by the tone of the editorial in the Gulf News - betrayed - what a word to use!!
@Mirza: when was BD a friend?
@Mirza: since when BD was friend?
A year later, when the UAE approached the Pakistani government, they were informed about their prior commitment to Turkey. “However we told the UAE that in case Turkey withdraws or loses, we will support the UAE in other rounds – and that’s exactly what we did. We voted for them after Turkey lost. The UAE officials even later thanked us for the support"
The stance clarified above by the Foreign Office spokesperson is quite clear and moves away any doubts. The Gulf News needlessly made an issue out of nothing. Perhaps it was not aware of the ground realities. One thing is for sure, this opinion is solely that of the newspaper's editorial board and has nothing to do with the UAE government. Then again, what can one expect when Indians are present in large numbers in Gulf News staff.
Are we losing friends by the day? After BD, now UAE, who is next Iran? We never had any dependable relationship with Afghanistan from day one. Now with Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore are we not going against the desires of Libyan people?