PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi is heavily criticized on social media for allegedly being inconsistent regarding the use of the national language.
The engendering of the criticism was through the pictures that showed that the chief minister wrote his comments in the visitors’ book in English during his visit to Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi. The pictures became widely circulated on social media so soon.
The incident caught the attention of the public for the reason that only a few days before, the chief minister had condemned the use of English at an official university event in Peshawar. He showed his displeasure regarding English delivery of the vice chancellor during the convocation ceremony at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University.
Afridi defended himself at the event, stating that Urdu is the official language of Pakistan and therefore it should be considered first in all government and educational functions. Further, he ordered all future events in provincial universities to be held in Urdu, with strict action to be taken in case of non-compliance.
Social media users branded the chief minister as a hypocrite, arguing that if English is fine for him, it should not be publicly criticized when used by others. A number of users depicted the case as a clear case of the contradiction between words and actions.
Some commentators considered the argument that the national language will be promoted in society only through practical cases and not through mere proclamations. They went on to say that leaders should apply the same standards to themselves that they expect from the rest.
The controversy has ignited a wider discussion on the Internet about the use of language, leadership responsibility and the official promotion of Urdu.
