Twitter up in arms over Sheikh Rasheed's comment saying govt 'tested tear gas' on protesters

KARACHI: People across social media have erupted in anger over Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad's comments earlier today about how the PTI regime "tested tear gas" on the Islamabad protesters earlier this week, with many saying it was a highly insensitive move on his part.

Sheikh Rasheed was addressing an event in Islamabad Sunday evening when he had said the government "provided a 25% increase in the salaries and used some tear gas as well [since] it was necessary".

"Because, by using the tear gas, it can be tested. [The tear gas canisters] were stashed uselessly. We tested it a little bit, not a lot. We have a lot more stored safely though."

A police officer had died after falling sick due to the intense tear gas shelling fired to disperse the federal government employees demanding a pay raise to deal with rising inflation.

'Shameless'

PML-N leader Mohammad Zubair noted that "in any other country, a statement like this would mean immediate firing of the minister and an apology from the government".

"Shameless is no word to describe."

'Gross statement'

"What a gross statement," said PPP Senator Rubina Khalid.

'Quite shameful'

A former government officer wrote that the comments were "quite shameful".

"Minister taking credit for brutal assault on government servants who form backbone of the government," wrote Aamir Chaudhry.

'Many people got injured'

"Many people got injured during the exercise and a cop died too," wrote journalist Murtaza Solangi.

'Highly deplorable'

Another user termed Rasheed's comment as "a highly deplorable remark".

"One could expect something worse than this from people who consider themselves to be the torch-bearers of this country. Very unfortunate indeed."

'People suffocating to death is a joke?'

"To the fascist, douchebag interior minister Sheikh Rasheed, people suffocating to death is a joke," wrote filmmaker Haroon Riaz.

'Oh my God'

'How insensitive'

"Uff how insensitive...bragging his use of power against poor citizens," said another tweet. 

'Inhuman government'

Rasheed's statement "shows how they treat common citizens", wrote Veengas.

'Height of callousness'

Another user said the authorities "used expired tear gas shells on Pakistani people".

"This very 'test' killed the policeman. Has this ever happened in the world that an interior minister makes this statement and no one takes action against it?"

'Govt keeps stooping lower and lower'

"Sheikh Rasheed says they tested the tear gas on the govt employees protesting and proceeds to threat that we have a lot more in store," wrote Islamabad-based activist Tooba Syed.

"The current govt keeps [stooping] lower and lower."

'This is criminal'

"Days after police in Islamabad fired tear gas on protesting government employees, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Sunday made light of the incident," wrote journalist Mariana Baabar.

A bit of satire

A satirical news account called 'Broken News' wrote: "'We increased the salaries of employees by 25% and then threw tear gas to bring out their happy tears,' says Sheikh Rasheed."

Atomic bomb 'lying idle for a long time'

One Twitter user observed how according to this logic, "the atomic bomb has been lying idle for a long time".

"Do you think it should be tested on our own people?"

The #PawriHoriHai meme

Some others, however, resorted to humour to cope with the utter insensitivity of the comment.