ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif faced public criticism on Saturday after a repost from his verified account on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) showed a clip from a cartoon series, at a time when reports of clashes between Pakistani forces and Taliban militants surfaced from the border region.
The reposted video, originally shared by the account Cartoon Videos, featured a scene from the classic Tom and Jerry series. The post drew attention when a defence analysis account, Clash Report, highlighted the timing of the minister’s activity, noting, “Meanwhile Pakistan’s defence minister shares a cartoon video on his account while Pakistani forces clash with Taliban.”
Following the post, several commentators and users expressed disapproval, describing the act as insensitive during a period of heightened security tensions.
Lawyer and political analyst Saad Rasool, in a post on X, wrote:
“We need serious people for serious jobs. In this critical moment when our soldiers have been martyred and we stand at the cusp of larger conflicts on the borders, our Defence Minister is an embarrassment.”
As of Sunday morning, the repost remained visible on the minister’s X profile, which identifies him as “a worker of Pakistan Muslim League (N)” and has over 2.5 million followers. No official statement or clarification had been issued from the Defence Minister or the Ministry of Defence regarding the post.
The development has renewed debate on the social media conduct of public officials, with observers calling for greater prudence and responsibility from those holding key national security positions.
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