Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif faced backlash on social media after a video of him celebrating the country’s first individual gold medal at the Olympics went viral.
In the video widely circulated on social media, Sharif was seen watching the Javelin throw event and raising hands in jubilation as Arshad Nadeem created a Games record to clinch the gold medal.
In the video, a man seated next to the Prime Minister is heard congratulating him, saying, “Bahot mubarak ho sir, Pakistan Zindabad. Aapka vision hai sir, aapne isse mauka diya.” (Many congratulations sir, Pakistan Zindabad. It’s your vision. You gave him the chance).
The remarks, however, triggered a wave of backlash, with many social media users accusing Sharif of “petty appropriation” and “graceless opportunism.” Some users also alleged that the prime minister was merely watching highlights of the event to enact a ‘scripted’ reaction.
“The MOST hideous video of Shahbaz Sharif in history. What petty appropriation. Graceless opportunism personifying exactly what is wrong with our ruling elites,” a user commented.
“They also deserve medal in clownery, shamelessness, and poor acting,” another user wrote.
“Guarantee you they didn’t even watch it live,” said another.
Read: Amid India-Pakistan tension, Neeraj Chopra and Arshad Nadeem show how it’s done
Here are some of the reactions:
Arshad Nadeem’s victory in the men’s javelin at the Paris Olympics on Thursday marked a historic moment for Pakistan. The 27-year-old athlete set an Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 meters, becoming the first Pakistani to win an individual gold medal at the Summer Games. India’s defending champion, Neeraj Chopra, took silver with a throw of 89.45 meters, while Grenada’s Anderson Peters claimed bronze with 88.54 meters.
Read: Two countries, two mothers, one sentiment: ‘Neeraj Chopra is my son,’ says Arshad Nadeem’s mom
Nadeem, who had finished fifth in the Tokyo Olympics and secured silver at last year’s world championships, expressed his joy after breaking the Olympic record. “When I threw the javelin, I got the feel of it leaving my hand and sensed it could be an Olympic record,” he said.
