New Delhi: A dog has stolen the spotlight in Pakistan amid the demolition of PTI’s headquarters in Islamabad. PTI leader Hammad Azhar claimed that his dog, Sam, was taken away by the police after the demolition. Now, Pakistanis are rallying in support of the ‘abducted’ dog.
Concerns ranged from notifying animal rights activists to wondering if Sam was ‘loyal’ enough to not give away party secrets.
“Last night police raided my home at 2 am. They beat my servants, abducted them and then took 2 away and left them in the middle of a road. They also took my pet dog ‘Sam’ who is still with them,” the former minister of energy wrote on X.
Azhar is currently the General Secretary of PTI Punjab. He was present at PTI’s Islamabad quarters when the government partially demolished it after it was termed an illegal construction.
For some social media users, this is a ‘new low’ while others noted that even dogs are on the radar. They are now calling for the release of PTI’s “political dog”.
“Release Sam, arresting a pet dog is the new low. Can’t believe I’m saying this, hello animal rights organisations. Can you raise an alarm on this? SOS,” an X user wrote.
X users unanimously declared it “undeniable animal cruelty”.
Even missing dog biscuits became a concern. “Just check whether dog biscuits are safe or not. These servants of the mafia are fond of this snack,” a user tweeted.
Also read: Pakistan and India have one thing in common— a stray dog problem
Who’s the dog?
The difference between dogs and humans blurred. Those who came to Azhar’s house were called dogs, Azhar himself was called a dog and then even the Chief of Army Staff, Asim Munir was called a dog.
Emboldened by the online support, Azhar took the advice of an X user and posted the dog’s picture. “This is my purebred and precious dog. It is not a cheap tout. He was stolen by the police during a raid on my house last night. He’s not a sellout so he’s of no use to you. He’s not even a boot licker, so you won’t like it. Please return it,” he posted, tagging Punjab police.
This is my dog Sam. Police stole it during the raid at my house last night. It does not lick boots hence it’s of no use to you. Plz return it immediately. https://t.co/fA4xKYZfUR pic.twitter.com/U2Z0ftkNNd
— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) May 24, 2024
One X user questioned his choice of breeds. “Poor thing, look like an innocent breed. Had you kept a German Shepherd, he would have at least not allowed anyone to come near,” they wrote.
But not everyone sympathised with Azhar. One user asked why he isn’t taking the initiative to go and bring the dog back, another asked why he is never home when “all of this” happens.
Yet another pointed out the elitism in Azhar’s initial tweet. “You mentioned your pet by name “sam” but don’t have the honour to call your “servants” by their name? They gave you time for your money (which I am sure wouldn’t even meet their basic needs). So better use respectable words and get out of this complex,” they said.
Other Pakistanis did what they do best—make memes.
One user went back to the oft-used picture of a policeman on a call with the caption: “Sir, the arrest of Hammad Azhar’s dog has led to a barking match from both sides in the station. The colonel is winning against the arrested until now.”
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)