Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has come under fire over his remarks against the overseas Pakistanis, especially those living in Canada, United States and Europe.
Talking about the fall in remittances during a recent session of the National Assembly, Khawaja Asif said that Pakistanis living in the United States and Canada would not send remittances to Pakistan; they would just talk bad about their country. He said that Pakistanis living in the US and Canada bring their dead to bury in Pakistan, sell their properties here and leave.
Khawaja Asif said it was basically the Pakistanis living in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates who were sending home remittances as their children and parents were still living in Pakistan and they were buying properties in Pakistan. He said that 2.8 million Pakistanis working in Saudi Arabia and 1.8 million Pakistanis living in the UAE were the main source of remittances Pakistan was receiving from abroad.
He said that Pakistanis living in the United States and Canada were “shameless” people who would talk bad about Pakisan and hurl abuses at thier own country. He said these people should respect the country, which gave them respect and basic identity.
He said that Pakistanis work in 50 degrees temperature in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and send home remittances. He said these people come home on Eids and other festivals, but those living in Canada and the US would not come back, but still they threaten that they would not send remittances to Pakistan.
Here are some reactions to what Khawaja Asif said in the National Assembly.
خواجہ صاحب!
امریکہ اور کینیڈا میں بیٹھے کم از کم لاشیں دفنانے تو پاکستان آتے ہیں۔ آپ کے قائد نوازشریف اور ان کے بیٹوں کو تو یہ توفیق بھی نہ ہوئی۔ والدہ شمیم اختر اور بیوی کلثوم نواز کی لاشیں پاکستان کارگو کر دی تھیں۔
بقول آپ کے۔ کوئی شرم ہوتی ہے کوئی حیاء ہوتی ہے! pic.twitter.com/cA293p5SD8— Fayyaz Shah (@RebelByThought) June 14, 2023
Today we all should take oath that this Khawaja asif if he dares to come to America or canada we will not leave him alone and we will answer this dirty speach he did against us
اب دونیاں میں انگریزی بلولنے والے خودار پاکستانیو اس بندے👆 کی سپیچ کو کبھی بھولنا نہ ۔۔۔۔۔! pic.twitter.com/tszIsnePpw— Sara Mir (@SaraMirGilgity) June 15, 2023
no comment #KhawajaAsif pic.twitter.com/jl1x9alk6n
— Salman Khan (@FrankfurtPK) June 14, 2023
Thread by @ZiDDiBlochPTI on Imran Khan's contributions for Overseas Pakistanis. Yesterday Khawaja Asif insulted Overseas Pakistan; shameless PMLN doesn't understand how big of an asset Overseas Pakistanis are. #خان_کی_طاقت_عوام https://t.co/WKx0l6TN1n
— PTI (@PTIofficial) June 15, 2023
Shame on Khawaja Asif because he is attacking overseas Pakistanis. Overseas Pakistanis sent 12 BILLION $ remittance in FY22. Yesterday Khawaja Asif called us shameless people
#خان_کی_طاقت_عوام #MayorKarachi
pic.twitter.com/ITONFhdCON— Hina Zainab (@hina98_hina) June 15, 2023
Strongly condemn completely senseless statement of the defence minister of #Pakistan Khawaja Asif calling overseas Pkaistanis living in the UK, USA, and Europe as shameless people who come to Pakistan just to burry their dead. He does not know that in just last one year, these… pic.twitter.com/hEhR7i4ffp
— LAL MALHI (@LALMALHI) June 14, 2023
https://twitter.com/TaufiqRiaz/status/1669114303494909959