PTI senator Azam Swati and JUI-f Senator Hafiz Hamdullah, while taking strong exception to an ad released by ISPR showing pictures of Pathans and men with beard and women in veils as terrorists, have said that if having a beard, turbans and veils was a sign of terrorism then “we all are terrorists”.
Speaking on a calling attention notice, Senator Swati said in Senate on Wednesday that disgracing Pathans and distorting their identity had no justification.
“I am shocked over the advertisement published by ISPR in newspapers. Are the eyes of an entire institution closed like those of the government’s? I condemn the ISPR in the strongest terms with reference to the advertisement,” he said.
Senator Hamdullah said that pictures appeared in newspapers on February 8 wherein people with beards and caps and women in burqas were featured as terrorists.
“Through these pictures an impression has been given to the entire nation that men with beards and caps and women in veils are terrorists,” he said.
“Why have pictures of Raymond Davis and Pervez Musharraf not been included in these pictures?” he questioned.
State Minister Sheikh Aftab said that the advertisement was aimed at extending full support to the army and the government in the wake of attack on Army Public School and Bacha Khan University.
“Pathans have not been declared terrorists in this advertisement. The intent of the government and the armed forces should not be viewed with suspicion. I assure all senators that people from all provinces are respectable and will be respected,” he said.