A photo of Pakistani former cricketer and politician Imran Khan as Lord Shiva that has gone viral on social media has caused quite a bit of an uproar.
This is not only from Khan’s supporters but also from Hindus and Muslims in both India and Pakistan. The Pakistan Tehrek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief is known to court controversy, and with the country’s general elections just a couple of months away, targeting rivals is not new.
According to reports, the edited photo was posted on social media by a Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), PML-N, supporter on April 8, 2018, and since then, it has gone viral on several online platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
Screenshots of the picture shows it being posted on a Facebook page called ‘We Love Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif and PML(N)’, although, after a search through Facebook, the post is no longer available.
“If we are equal citizen in pakistan so what is this ? This is not in islam that. We want to take action against this. We are Pakistanis but first we are hindu. I requested to @AsimBajwaISPR @MaryamNSharif @ImranKhanPTI to take action ageist this facebook page,” posted a certain Kaidar Nath on Twitter.
Take a look at the post here.
If we are equal citizen in pakistan so what is this ? This is not in islam that. We want to take action against this. We are Pakistanis but first we are hindu. I requested to @AsimBajwaISPR @MaryamNSharif @ImranKhanPTI to take action ageist this facebook page pic.twitter.com/eQBEMHe3O1
— Kaidar Nath (@NathKAidar) April 11, 2018
This was then subsequently shared by others on social media, with many commenting on how the Pakistani Hindu community has been offended by the depiction.
SHAME on PMLN cyber Wing,Pakistan.😡
— Anurag saxena (@saaxenanurag) April 13, 2018
Picture depicting Imran Khan ( cricketer turned politician) as Bhagwan Shiva goes viral, causes uproar in Pakistan's parliament. pic.twitter.com/VStDgIjOlh
#Pakistani Hindu community seriously and rightfully offended at PMLN's Social Media Team's (which is headed by Maryam Nawaz Sharif) portrayal of @ImranKhanPTI as Shiva! pic.twitter.com/wxESHW1RJY
— Aurora Borealis (@PropitiousOn3) April 13, 2018