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Pakistanis call out Shahrukh Khan on social media for ‘jingoistic’ Netflix show

Shah Rukh Khan (left) and Emraan Hashmi in 'Bard of Blood.' (Photo courtesy: social media)
Updated 27 August 2019
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Pakistanis call out Shahrukh Khan on social media for ‘jingoistic’ Netflix show

  • Bollywood’s reigning king dropped the trailer this week for “Bard of Blood,” his latest production for Netflix
  • Pakistan army spokesman urges Khan to use his platform to promote peace, highlight human rights abuses in Kashmir
Updated 27 August 2019
Sabah Bano Malik

ISLAMABAD: Bollywood’s reigning king Shah Rukh Khan’s dropped the trailer this week for his latest production for streaming giant Netflix, “Bard of Blood,” inciting an overwhelmingly negative response from viewers for its “jingoistic” storyline, with the Pakistan Army also weighing in.
The series is based on a book of the same name written by Bilal Siddiqi. The trailer begins in Balochistan, a southwestern province in Pakistan, and shows that Indian spies captured by Pakistan are about to be beheaded before they can relay important information to India. Former spy Kabir Anand, played by Emraan Hashmi, is then tasked by the government of India to travel to Balochistan for a rescue mission.
In Pakistan, the trailer has drawn sharp criticism and is being seen as an irresponsible attempt at war-mongering at a time when tensions between arch-rivals India and Pakistan are at an all-time high over the disputed Kashmir region.
Among the Pakistans irked by the trailer was Pakistan Army Spokesman General Asif Ghafoor who tweeted at Khan, asking the actor to use his platform to promote peace and highlight human rights violations by India in Jammu and Kashmir.

Other Pakistani Twitter users also took to the social media platform to express disapproval.

This Twitter user accused Khan of making “jingoistic content”:

Rights activist Sabahat Zakariya wrote:

Haroon Rashid, the editor of Independent Urdu, had this to say:

Another Twitter user was equally miffed:

Topics: Pakistan India Kashmir Shah Rukh Khan srk Asif Ghafoor bard of blood emraan hashmi

India’s rice stocks surge to record high as paddy procurement climbs

Updated 5 sec ago
Reuters
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India’s rice stocks surge to record high as paddy procurement climbs

  • The stockpiles may boost shipments, putting pressure on supplies from rivals such as Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan
  • India, which accounts for about 40 percent of global rice exports, removed the last of its export curbs on the grain in March
Updated 5 sec ago
Reuters

MUMBAI: India’s rice inventories in government warehouses climbed nearly 12 percent from a year earlier to a record high for early December after state-run ​agencies stepped up procurement of the new-season paddy crop, government data showed.

The swelling stockpiles could allow the world’s biggest rice exporter to boost shipments, putting pressure on supplies from rivals such as Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan.

State reserves of rice, including unmilled paddy, totalled a record 57.57 million metric tons as of December ‌1, far exceeding the ‌government’s target of 7.61 million ‌tons ⁠for ​January ‌1.

Wheat stocks stood at 29.14 million tons on December 1, up from last year’s 20.6 million tons, the data showed.

State-run agencies are being forced to buy large quantities from farmers as open-market prices remain below the government-set minimum support price, said a New Delhi based dealer with ⁠a global trade house.

“Despite the government buying heavily, traders still ‌have plenty of stock for exports,” he ‍said.

Since the start of ‍the marketing year on October 1, the government has ‍procured 42.2 million tons of paddy from farmers.

“Export demand isn’t very strong right now, but the weakening rupee is helping traders land deals at competitive prices,” said one Mumbai-based ​trader.

The Indian rupee dropped to a record low this month, enhancing returns for traders on ⁠overseas sales.

India, which accounts for about 40 percent of global rice exports, removed the last of its export curbs on the grain last March.

India’s rice exports in the first 10 months of 2025 jumped 37 percent from a year earlier to 18.49 million tons.

The Rice Exporters Association expects shipments from India to rise by nearly 25 percent from a year earlier to a record 22.5 million tons this year.

Alongside rice, wheat stocks are at comfortable ‌levels this year, helping the government to manage food grain prices more effectively, the trader said.

Topics: rice indian rice

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