ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis on social media resorted to humor and satire on Thursday morning to comment on hundreds of President Donald Trump supporters storming the United States Capitol on Wednesday in a stunning bid to overturn his election defeat.
For the most part, users compared Wednesday’s events in Washington DC with what had happened in Islamabad in 2014, when supporters of former international cricketer Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party, and now prime minister of Pakistan, tried to climb container barricades to storm parliament in August that year.
Days later, Pakistan’s national PTV channel and its English-language PTV World service were taken off the air after protesters stormed its headquarters in central Islamabad.
The protests in 2014 were against the then-government of PM Nawaz Sharif, who Khan alleged had come to power through a rigged 2013 general election.
“Who wore it better?” the satirical publication, The Dependent, tweeted, showing a picture of Americans climbing the walls of the Capitol against Pakistanis trying to climb over the parliament gates.
Who wore it best? pic.twitter.com/biufZjcL8u
— The Dependent (@dependent_the) January 6, 2021
“Washington DC is so Islamabad 2014 right now,” policy analyst Mosharraf Zaidi tweeted.
Washington DC is so Islamabad 2014 right now. pic.twitter.com/91znq7CIX5
— Mosharraf Zaidi (@mosharrafzaidi) January 6, 2021
Rightwing, conservative analyst Zaid Hamid said: “Imagine if this was Islamabad ....a “Taliban takeover of nuclear armed Pakistan” would be the headlines in all global papers... This is US government taken over by American taliban..... It’s time for international intervention..Let’s send in Iraqi and Afghan forces first!”
Imagine if this was Islamabad ....a "Taliban takeover of nuclear armed Pakistan" would be the headlines in all global papers...
This is US government taken over by American taleban..... It's time for international intervention..
Let's send in Iraqi and Afghan forces first! pic.twitter.com/qumDaOhOGM— Zaid Hamid (@ZaidZamanHamid) January 7, 2021
“Reports indicate that Faisal Vawda is on his way to save capitol with his pistol,” one Twitter user said, adding: “Aap ne ghabrana nahi hai @ US Senators,” a spin on a famous and hugely satirized statement by PM Khan asking his supports “not to worry.”
Vawda, a federal minister, made headlines in 2018 when he showed up at the scene of an attack at Karachi’s Chinese consulate with a gun, and told reporters: “I have a Glock and a lot of other things. InshAllah this is our country and we will fight for it.”
“This is what I wanted to escape when I left Pakistan,” said Dr. Faeem Younus, vice president and chief of quality and infectious diseases at the University of Maryland.
This is what I wanted to escape when I left Pakistan.
— Faheem Younus, MD (@FaheemYounus) January 6, 2021
