Prime Minister's aide on Parliamentary Affairs Shehbaz Gill has mocked Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for wearing a cloth mask that is adorned with Ajrak pattern -- a traditional block-printed Sindhi style.
Speaking on a TV show, Gill said he had heard about the use of 'province card', but this was the first time that he saw a 'province mask' being played by the opposition.
He also drew an analogy between masks worn by people, including himself, and the cloths used to restrain calves from drinking milk. He, however, went a step further and said the mask worn by Bilawal, with the Ajrak print, is more close to the one used on calves, as both have 'colourful' print.
Apparently, the PM's aide failed to see a difference between any 'old piece of colourful cloth' and the Ajrak, a prominent symbol of Sindhi culture. His justification for the comparison was that both were 'colourful'.
The crude comparison prompted a strong response from Sindh's Information Minister Nasir Shah. "Don't go to such lengths to secure your job that you don't even care about a nation's feelings and emotions. Ajrak is just not the pride of Sindh but of Pakistan. It is difficult for parachutters like you to understand this, Shahbaz Gill," he tweeted with hashtag #AjrakisOurPride.
Speaking on a TV show, Gill said he had heard about the use of 'province card', but this was the first time that he saw a 'province mask' being played by the opposition.
He also drew an analogy between masks worn by people, including himself, and the cloths used to restrain calves from drinking milk. He, however, went a step further and said the mask worn by Bilawal, with the Ajrak print, is more close to the one used on calves, as both have 'colourful' print.
Apparently, the PM's aide failed to see a difference between any 'old piece of colourful cloth' and the Ajrak, a prominent symbol of Sindhi culture. His justification for the comparison was that both were 'colourful'.
Don't go to such lengths to secure your job that you don't even care about a nation's feelings and emotions. Ajrak is just not the pride of Sindh but of Pakistan. It is difficult for parachutters like you to understand this Shahbaz Gill. #AjrakIsOurPride @HamidMirPAK pic.twitter.com/yNkl9xbgtm
— Syed Nasir Hussain Shah (@SyedNasirHShah) July 22, 2020
The crude comparison prompted a strong response from Sindh's Information Minister Nasir Shah. "Don't go to such lengths to secure your job that you don't even care about a nation's feelings and emotions. Ajrak is just not the pride of Sindh but of Pakistan. It is difficult for parachutters like you to understand this, Shahbaz Gill," he tweeted with hashtag #AjrakisOurPride.