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Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has said he is “not worthy” of the Nobel Peace Prize after growing calls on social media and by his ruling party to award him for his “sagacious” role in defusing tensions with India.
“The person worthy of this would be the one who solves the Kashmir dispute according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people and paves the way for peace and human development in the subcontinent,” Khan wrote.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry submitted a resolution to the National Assembly on Saturday, suggesting Khan (66), receive the prestigious award.
More than 400 000 people have signed an online petition calling for the prize be given to Khan.
As the world held its breath during the tense India-Pakistan standoff, Khan made the surprise announcement last week that the captured Indian pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, would be freed in a “peace gesture”.
Varthaman was handed over to Indian authorities on Friday.
South African comedian and US TV show host Trevor Noah has come under fire for joking about the recent tensions between India and Pakistan, with social media users criticising his comments as “racist”, “insensitive” and “stereotypical”.
During an episode of The Daily Show, a satirical news programme, on Wednesday night, host Noah said that if the nuclear-armed neighbours went to war, “it would be the most entertaining of all time”.
“It would also be the longest war of all time – another dance number!” he added while putting on an Indian accent and suggesting that a potential war scene would play out like a Bollywood musical.
The playful satire drew outrage on Twitter, forcing the 35-year-old comic to apologise. Amid conflicting claims over the number of armed fighters killed in the Indian air attack inside Pakistani territory, the country’s air force chief has said it’s not their job to count casualties.
According to Indian media reports, when asked about how many Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) fighters were killed in the February 26 raid, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa said, “Indian Air Force is not in a postilion to clarify the number of casualties. The government will clarify that. We don’t count human casualties, we count what targets we have hit or not.”
Dhanoa’s response came amid a controversy over the Indian government coming up with no evidence to back its claim that its attack had destroyed JeM camps in Balakot area in northern Pakistan and killed “a very large number” of armed fighters.
Islamabad denies any rebel camp was attacked or people killed in the attack.
On Sunday, India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah claimed “250 terrorists were killed”.
His statement came shortly after an Indian minister said the Balakot strike was “meant to warn [Pakistan], not kill.”
Residents of villages near the LoC say it was quiet overnight on Sunday, their first lull since the dangerous escalation between Pakistan and India erupted last week.
In the Chakoti area in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, many villagers are using the calm to leave their homes and move to safety.
— AFP
Online Reporter