Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur on Monday condemned the controversial remarks made by Punjab Information Minister Fayazul Hasan Chohan, assuring that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) would also take action against the latter for allegedly using the word ‘Kashmiri’ as a racial slur.
Earlier, Ruling PTI lawmaker from Punjab Chohan came under fire due to his fierce criticism of the rival politicians for his controversial remarks in a press talk where he used the ‘Kashmiri’ for the Sharif family while calling them ‘corrupt’.
Gandapur was in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) capital for the launch of Naya Pakistan Housing Programme. He was intercepted by some political activists to convey their unhappiness over the way Chohan had tried to portray the Kashmiris.
Punjab’s Information Minister Fayyaz Chohan insults and mocks Kashmiris. PM Imran Khan should take action against him pic.twitter.com/0CBADROPTC
— Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaViews) October 21, 2018
“I condemn and I want to make it clear to all Kashmiri people that whatever Chohan has said is in his personal capacity…It has nothing to do with our party policy,” the minister clarified.
“We will serve notice to him and the party will take action on it as well,” Gandapur promised.
“He is [the] spokesperson of the Punjab government and previously he had made some such remarks that impelled him to tender an apology,” he said.
In a video which is making rounds on social media, Chohan called out the names of Sharif family members and blamed them for the existing socio-economic crisis.
While doing so, he used ‘Kashmiri’ surname for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, ex-Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif and Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz.
“Hamza Shehbaz Kashmiri sahib has again deceived the nation. Pakistan has never witnessed such intimidation in its history,” he said.
He further slammed the Sharif brothers and called them out with Kashmiri surnames in front of the reporters.
“All this is happening on the instructions of Mian Shehbaz Sharif Kashmiri,” he added.
The Punjab info minister received flak for his remarks. “Faizul Hasan Chuhan uses the word Kashmiri as if it’s an abuse. Or insult. Or a reason to be mocked. It is absolutely appalling. But you know what? Nothing will happen. He is an official patriot. He is protected,” journalist Talat Hussain commented while sharing the video.
Columnist Abbas Nasir said, “You can only expect such a disgusting argument from this man.”
The Kashmiri community resented Chohan’s remarks and demanded an explanation from him in this regard.
