Usman Dar Under Fire For Racist Remarks Against Pashtun Community

Usman Dar Under Fire For Racist Remarks Against Pashtun Community
Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar has come under fire for his racist remarks against the Pashtun community during a talk show of a private television channel.

During a talk show of Mansoor Ali on Express News, Usman Dar was asked a question regarding the fact that the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) would be continuing their sit-in. The host asked Usman Dar which of the demands of the Azadi March participants would the government fulfill.

In response, Usman Dar stated that the future course of action would be similar to how ‘pathans do business’, wherein they sell a Rs500 blanket for Rs50. He added that Azadi March participants would be treated in a similar way.

Usman Dar was implying that the Azadi March participants would go back with much less concessions that they asked for, but the way he put forward his view has been severely criticised for racism.

A social media user who shared the video on Twitter expressed his strong condemnation of Usman Dar’s comments, stating that neither the leader of Usman Dar thinks before he speaks, nor Dar himself.

https://twitter.com/Dr_AamerKhan/status/1191633413691920384?s=20

Journalist Murtaza Solangi took to Twitter to state that Usman Dar must apologise to the Pashtun community for his comments, adding that if he was not admonished by his party leader, Imran Khan, the whole party would suffer.

https://twitter.com/murtazasolangi/status/1191592172694515713?s=20

People were not only of the view that Usman Dar’s comments were racist, but also criticised the fact that his comments were targeted at a specific class.

https://twitter.com/iopyne/status/1191479050260357120?s=20

Another user stated that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) representatives had brought indecent culture on the political scene, adding that Usman Dar’s comments showed his low morality.

https://twitter.com/Islaamabad/status/1191592921486643200?s=20

Journalist Murtaza Ali Shah reminded his audience of the earlier comments of another PTI member Mian Aslam Iqbal, who called Pashtuns traitors, and added that Usman Dar’s comments show the perceptions these government officials have of the Pashtuns.

https://twitter.com/MurtazaViews/status/1191669253075849216?s=20

A user demanded an apology from Usman Dar and stated that Pashtuns had been suffering from state policies and to add to this, politicians were using derogatory language for their ethnicity.

https://twitter.com/sharifullahwaz4/status/1191480475715547136?s=20

Another user was of the view that this ‘racial profiling’ of Pashtuns illustrated how Pashtuns were third class citizens of the country.

https://twitter.com/PashtunZoi1/status/1191611278378360833?s=20

Meanwhile, a privilege motion has been submitted by Pakistan People’s Party senator Rubina Khalid which stated that the sentiments of the Pashtun community had been hurt by Usman Dar’s degrading remarks.



The motion further called for the issue to be referred to the Committee On Rules of Procedures and Privileges.

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