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TLP protests: Video of Pak Army soldiers chanting slogans explained

Karachi: Tehreek-Labbaik-Pakistan protests shook the entire country on Tuesday a day after the party’s chief Saad Rizvi was arrested from Lahore.

While mainstream media was confined to report traffic jams caused by the protests across the country, social media websites were flooded with gory pictures of violence that claimed may lives including policemen.

A video of Pakistan army soldiers chanting TLP slogans also went viral on social media. While some journalists and activists, who are known as military’s critics used the clip to question the army’s policies, some working journalists praised the soldiers for using common sense to get out of trouble spot. Anchor Moeed Pirzad, quoting insiders, said the army convoy was returning from exercise area when their vehicle laden with weapons was caught in TLP protest near Gujranwala.

Farhat Javed Rabbani, a senior journalist associated with BBC, also explained the situation the army men had found themselves in. The reporter said that one part of “Reporting in Hostile Environment Training” deals with how to move out when get stuck in a charges mob. She revealed that she was also attacked thrice. “My advice for you is don’t try to argue while standing right in the middle of a mob. Move out first!” Farhat Javed was commenting on the video shared by Journalist Asad Toor, who is know as an army critic.

Commenting on the same video, Cyril Almeida of “Dawn Leaks” fame also agreed that “if chanting slogans gets you through the mob unmolested, say whatever need to”.

Common users praised the Pakistan army soldiers for their presence of mind to avoid any untoward incident that could have taken place in the presence of a charged mob and the heady weapons on their vehicle.

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