Islamabad – An outburst of social media emotion has swept the web after a viral video featuring Afghan students currently based in Pakistan.
In an informal encounter with a foreign YouTuber, a group of young men were filmed declining to say, “Long Live Pakistan”.
The conflict became more serious when the group supposedly argued that the Swat district was actually Afghan Soil, leading to the fiery debate on national borders and historical accounts.
The recording that has been reposted a thousand times depicts the students conversing in a discussion that soon became controversial. To most of the audience, failing to pay respect to the nation that was giving them an education was viewed as an insult to hospitality.
However, the most sensitive part of the exchange involved the territorial claim, as the students insisted on camera that parts of the northern regions belong to Afghan Soil.
Social Media Reacts to the Incident
The reaction online was almost instantaneous. The outcry of anger was voiced by thousands of users, who wondered how students who were living in the country on educational scholarships would be able to make such provocative statements.
Most observers opined that as much as freedom of speech is a vital issue, calling a piece of sovereign territory a cross between Afghan Soil is a step too far in the boundary of territorial integrity.
Users on different platforms have requested that they review the status of the students, and some others have demanded a more balanced approach not to stereotype every foreign learner.
Some believe that these statements, when delivered in a large scale to an international audience through YouTuber, can harm the fragile social structure between communities living next to each other.
A Call for Mutual Respect
With the video still spreading, educational professionals and social commentators are pointing out the importance of improved orientation programs to foreign students.
It is aimed at creating a situation where cultural exchange takes precedence over political tensions.
No official action has been reported yet.
