Pakistani athlete Arshad Nadeem secured the gold medal in the javelin throw at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The 27-year-old's record-breaking throw of 92.97 meters not only earned him his first Olympic gold but also put Pakistan on the Olympic medal list. Following Nadeem's victory, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to X to congratulate the athlete on his outstanding performance. Sharif's post praised Nadeem for bringing glory to Pakistan, but it was accompanied by an old photograph that quickly became the centre of controversy. The image showed the Prime Minister handing a cheque of Rs 1 million to Nadeem, a gesture made before the Olympics.
The use of this outdated image in Sharif's congratulatory post ignited a wave of criticism across social media. Many users questioned the relevance of the photo, with some accusing the Prime Minister of using Nadeem's achievement for political gain. The image sparked a flood of memes and sarcastic comments, turning what was meant to be a celebration of Nadeem's success into a hot topic of debate. "Bravo Arshad. History made! Pakistan’s first Olympic men’s javelin champion, Arshad Nadeem. @ArshadOlympian1 brings home a historic #gold medal at #Paris2024 ! You've made the whole nation proud young man," Sharif posted along with the old pic of the cheque.
Adding to the controversy was a video featuring Pakistani politician Rana Mashood, in which he attributed Nadeem's participation in the Paris Olympics to Shehbaz Sharif's efforts. The video, which showed Mashood and Sharif celebrating as Nadeem secured his gold medal, further fueled the criticism. Social media users were quick to point out that Nadeem's journey to the Olympics was the result of years of hard work and dedication, not the actions of any single politician.
Here are some reactions from users
Reacting to Shehbaz Sharif's post, one of the Pakistani users wrote, "Just look at their mentality! Why on earth will you upload a picture giving him a check of Rs 1 million. Classless and clueless." "Displaying an untimely Image of a cheque presented to now an Olympian Javeline champion Arshad Nadeem throwing OR 92.97 m was one of the many lows from the #Form47 selected PM, no doubt you can fall further," wrote another. "Its not becoz of your cheque of 1 million, Its all becoz of his struggle…Winning an Olympic gold medal doesn't happen in a single day; it's the result of years of hard work and unwavering dedication (sic)," commented a third.
