New Delhi: In a week when rapid political developments in Pakistan held the global gaze even amid Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine, al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri hailing Muskan Khan — the Karnataka student who became famous for her pro-hijab protest in February — for having “challenged a mob of Hindu polytheists with defiant slogans of Takbeer [God is the Greatest]”, also made it to the front pages.
The issues of inflation and unemployment also remained in focus, but Hollywood star Bruce Willis’ aphasia diagnosis brought a health-first prescription.
ThePrint brings you a wrap of this week’s headlines from Urdu newspapers.
Al Qaeda and hijab
Global terror group al Qaeda’s chief Ayman al-Zawahiri’s unsolicited take on the ongoing hijab row in Karnataka was carried on the front page by both Roznama Rashtriya Sahara and Siasat.
Referring to the 2020 reports of Zawahiri’s death, Sahara on 7 April wrote that the new video is proof that the al Qaeda boss is still alive. The paper wrote that in the video, Zawahiri praised Karnataka girl Muskan Khan for responding with a cry of “Allah hu Akbar” when faced with harassment for her hijab by a mob.
A day later, Siasat wrote that the Zawahiri video had caused an increase in tensions — even as Muskan’s family had distanced themselves from it, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said there were unseen hands behind the video.
In a front-page report on 5 April, Siasat also wrote that “Karnataka is the laboratory of new Hindutva, after halal meat there is now opposition to loudspeakers in mosques”.
The paper wrote that Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s call to ban loudspeakers at mosques in the state had got support, and also reported about the plans of Hindutva groups in Karnataka to play bhajans at the time of azaan (Islamic call to prayer).
Also read: ‘Muslims oppressed in Hindu democracy’: al Qaeda chief al-Zawahiri slams hijab row, praises Muskan
Eye on Pakistan
The turmoil and constitutional tug of war in neighbouring Pakistan has been on the front pages much of the week.
On 4 April, Siasat and Sahara carried on their front pages reports of Pakistan National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling, which dismissed the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. On 8 April Inquilab reported on page one the decision of the Pakistan Supreme Court, which termed Suri’s move unconstitutional and reinstated the National Assembly, which was dissolved by the country’s President.
Siasat, in its 4 April editorial, drew parallels with Imran’s former life as a World Cup-winning cricket captain, saying he would contest till the last ball. While all eyes will be on the verdict of the courts, it said, the Opposition in Pakistan does not have too many options left and may need to shun the politics of additions and subtractions (jod-tod) and get ready to face the people.
In an editorial on 7 April, Inquilab wrote that it would have been befitting to Imran Khan’s promise of a different kind of politics, to acknowledge that he would not get the support of adequate members and step down on his own. The paper also wrote that the repeated failure of democratic processes in that country should be analysed by experts and politicians.
Sri Lanka crisis
In an article published on 4 April, Sahara wrote that the Sri Lankan government had banned social media in the country to stem the tide of anti-government rhetoric and gatherings. Sri Lanka is currently facing a severe economic crisis that has led to violent protests.
On 6 April, Siasat carried a report on its front page on the crisis in Sri Lanka escalating, while the government led by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa temporarily closed its embassies in Australia, Norway and Iraq. Protests outside the Prime Minister’s residence in Colombo continued, reported the paper, despite heavy rains, while police used tear gas to disperse the gathering.
On the same day, an editorial published in Sahara said the Sri Lankan economic crisis carried lessons for India. The paper wrote that the situation in India today was very similar to that in Sri Lanka — just as Sri Lanka’s ruling political party promised free sops in its election manifesto and was fulfilling it by borrowing, the same was true of India.
Many Indian states are on the brink of collapse due to such free sops, said the paper. Not only are the coffers of the states empty, but their economies have been saddled with a heavy debt burden. Sahara said the situation had led several top officials in the country to warn the government that unless these free welfare schemes are stopped, these states will become as impoverished as Sri Lanka.
These officials also met PM Modi, it reported, and, during a four-hour-long meeting, some civil servants openly expressed their reservations about the popular schemes of the states. It wrote that the officials had said that free schemes offered to the public were not practical and such schemes did not last long.
Issues of economy and inflation
On 5 April, Inquilab carried on its front page a report about the meeting of civil servants chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which the officers warned him that if the present spate of welfare schemes continued, some states could face a future like Sri Lanka.
In an inset, the paper carried a statement by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who, while criticising the continuous rise in fuel prices, termed it the “Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Loot Yojana”.
In its editorial published the same day, the paper wrote that while the Government of India is inviting foreign investors to do business in the country, and succeeding, too, to some extent, it has failed to prevent Indians from leaving the country. Given the right environment, the same people, who often leave in search of jobs, could even become investors themselves, the paper said.
In another editorial on 2 April titled “Inflation: how much and till when?” the paper quoted ITC CMD Sanjiv Puri to say that the need of the hour is government investments to increase employment opportunities.
On 4 April, both Inquilab and Siasat reported on the front page the continued rise in fuel prices. In its editorial on 4 April, Siasat noted that fuel prices had been increased for the thirteenth time and the government “continues on the path to rob the common people”.
The paper wrote that the occasional protests from Opposition parties do not seem to be getting support from the common man, so these parties should work on making people aware of their right to protest, and people take to the streets without being fearful of the government. Or else, the paper wrote, they would find it difficult to get two meals a day. The same day, Sahara reported that India’s unemployment rate has come down.
Bruce Willis’ battle with aphasia
Hollywood superstar Bruce Willis’ announcement, that he would retire from acting following his aphasia diagnosis, prompted Inquilab to publish an editorial on 3 April where the paper advised people to take care of their health.
Quoting a 2015 paper from The Lancet, in which the journal had claimed that globally just 5 per cent of people can be called healthy, the paper wrote that it is important for people to become conscious in the early stages of a disease, rather than allowing it to overpower them.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
Also read: What is aphasia, disorder that forced action star Bruce Willis to retire