Prime Minister Imran Khan's call to the people to come out of homes, offices and workplaces every week for half an hour to express solidarity with the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IoK) received a mixed reaction from different segments of the society.
While talking to Business Recorder, the people from different walks of life expressed a mixed reaction over 30 minutes duration to express solidarity with the people of IoK as announced by the prime minister on Monday last in his televised address to the nation. Some people were of the view that it is a good step for showing solidarity with the people of Kashmir while others termed the 30 minutes duration every week too much.
Some of the people who were interviewed proposed that duration for expressing solidarity should be one or two minute as observed across the globe. The industrialists termed the duration too much, saying that they would have to shut their plants/machines as labourers would go out for 30 minutes and it would take more than one hour to restart the work and come to full potential. "It would affect the productivity for 30 minutes every week," they added.
Chairman Pakistan Apparel Forum Javed Balvani said that every Pakistani is ready to give sacrifices for the Kashmir cause. To express solidarity every week is a good step to make the world realized that every Pakistani is standing by the Kashmiri people; however, the duration of 30 minutes is too much and it would affect production.
Aslam Baig, a school teacher said that the 30 minutes duration is not too much, as Kashmir issue is not an ordinary matter. "If we cannot spare 30 minutes even in a week, how can we say that we are ready to sacrifice everything for Kashmir?" Baig added.