Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed has claimed that he was one of the only three people who supported the nuclear bomb testings in 1998, adding that the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif was against conducting the nuclear tests.
According to Rasheed, who was a federal minister at the time, he along with Raja Zafarul Haq and Gauhar Ayub were the only three people who wanted Pakistan to conduct the nuclear testing.
https://twitter.com/hyzaidi/status/1266643376386068483?s=20
However, this statement contradicts his own past claims where he said that he was so frightened by a 'sensitive explosion' [during nuclear tests] that he fled the country. He made this statement in his interview to a local news channel years ago. "This was such a sensitive explosion, I was frightened. I took the first morning flight and fled the country."
He said that he decided to leave the country just in case the nuclear bombings had been slightly misplaced, or there had been leakage. "I landed in a foreign country and asked the ambassador to check what the news is. I had decided that if the bombings took place without an anomaly, I would return to Pakistan after having lunch."
https://twitter.com/hyzaidi/status/1266645402100674565?s=20
So, why is he now claiming to have supported the bomb testing when he was initially afraid of it? Many on social media have pointed out that this might be an attempt to steal Nawaz Sharif's spotlight and discredit him for the nukes.
Sheikh Rasheed has always been in the news for his controversial statements and this latest comment has further generated a discussion on social media with people reminding the minister of his past.
According to Rasheed, who was a federal minister at the time, he along with Raja Zafarul Haq and Gauhar Ayub were the only three people who wanted Pakistan to conduct the nuclear testing.
https://twitter.com/hyzaidi/status/1266643376386068483?s=20
However, this statement contradicts his own past claims where he said that he was so frightened by a 'sensitive explosion' [during nuclear tests] that he fled the country. He made this statement in his interview to a local news channel years ago. "This was such a sensitive explosion, I was frightened. I took the first morning flight and fled the country."
He said that he decided to leave the country just in case the nuclear bombings had been slightly misplaced, or there had been leakage. "I landed in a foreign country and asked the ambassador to check what the news is. I had decided that if the bombings took place without an anomaly, I would return to Pakistan after having lunch."
https://twitter.com/hyzaidi/status/1266645402100674565?s=20
So, why is he now claiming to have supported the bomb testing when he was initially afraid of it? Many on social media have pointed out that this might be an attempt to steal Nawaz Sharif's spotlight and discredit him for the nukes.
Sheikh Rasheed has always been in the news for his controversial statements and this latest comment has further generated a discussion on social media with people reminding the minister of his past.