By Sardar Khan Niazi
The military’s media wing has rightly said that the regretful social media campaign after the unfortunate helicopter crash on August 1, which left six military personnel martyred, has caused deep anguish and distress among Shuhada families and the Armed Forces rank and file.
The negative social media campaign has hurt the family of the martyrs, the armed forces, and the entire nation and the attitude of these monsters needs to be condemned at all levels.
The social media campaign triggered after the helicopter crash is highly intolerable. The personnel in the helicopter were overseeing the flood relief efforts in the southwest of the country.
While the whole nation stands with the Pakistan Army in this difficult time, certain insensitive quarters are resorting to hurtful and derogatory comments on social media, which is highly condemnable. The nation is already in distress after the accident; the social media campaign has added to the pain of the families of the martyrs.
This could not have happened, had social media users been patriotic, but the elements doing this negative campaign are certainly our enemies and the nation rejects their remarks instantly.
The saddest aspect of this negative campaign is that the print and electronic media are involved in debating this subject and adding to the agony caused by social media trolls.
Moreover, President Dr. Arif Alvi wanted to attend the funeral of the Baluchistan helicopter crash martyrs; however, he was advised against doing so due to the “false and negative propaganda created by social media trolls.
The president had expressed his desire that as the supreme commander and head of state he wanted to attend the funeral of the martyrs. However, he was informed that as social media trolls have initiated toxic, false, and negative propaganda about the martyrs, which has enraged the people, therefore, he had better skip the funeral of the martyrs to avoid any untoward incident.
Adhering to the advice, the president did not attend the funeral prayers.
On the other hand, according to ISPR, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa received a telephone call from President of UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and the latter expressed “deepest condolences” over the loss of precious lives in the helicopter crash.
General Bajwa also received a telephone call from General Fayyadh Bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, Chief of General Staff (CGS) Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Chief of General Staff KSA expressed deepest condolences over the tragic loss of precious lives due to a helicopter crash in Lasbela.
It is very unfortunate that Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has received condolence calls from UAE and KSA officials, the trolls of our own dear motherland are engaged in a distressing and painful campaign.
Despite all the hateful social media campaigns, the whole nation stands by the Pakistan Army and the martyrs. The patriotic citizens recognize the valuable services of the Pak Army men who laid their lives in the line of duty.
The Pakistan Army has a long and unbeaten history of sacrifices and martyrdoms of their brave officers and jawans when the menace of terrorism took the entire country in its grip. By displaying utmost loyalty and professionalism, on countless occasions, they confronted terrorist outfits and restored law and order in the country.
The valiant jawans of the Pakistan Army defeated terrorism through utmost bravery and courage. The Pakistan Army martyrs are our national heroes, who have rendered sacrifices over the past seven decades.
It is the duty of all political parties and the media to refrain from pouring salt on the wounds caused by social media trolls. Let not anybody poison the atmosphere and annoy the families of the martyrs.
