Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has condemned the online backlash being face by Qatar —who is hosting the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup— over its alleged human rights abuses.
In a tweet on Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that it was ‘unfortunate’ that Qatar was being subjected to a ‘barrage of propaganda’ as the host of the FIFA World Cup.
“It should rather be commended for wonderful arrangements for mega event & being a promoter of global peace & development,” he wrote, adding that Pakistan stands in solidarity with the Emir and people of Qatar.
Unfortunate that Qatar is being subjected to a barrage of propaganda as host of FIFA World Cup. It should rather be commended for wonderful arrangements for mega event & being a promoter of global peace & development. Pakistan stands in solidarity with HH Emir & peole of Qatar 🇶🇦
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) November 23, 2022
Qatar as the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup has been making headlines for several reasons, including restricting entry to people wearing clothes or accessories with Pride symbols on them, as homosexuality is considered illegal in Qatar.
British politician Keir Starmer said it was ‘unacceptable’ that ‘gay football fans are unable to acknowledge who they love’ at the World Cup in Qatar. “The World Cup doesn’t belong to Fifa… it belongs to everyone who loves football… shame on Fifa,” he said while in Parliament.
"The World Cup doesn't belong to Fifa… it belongs to everyone who loves football… shame on Fifa"
Labour leader Keir Starmer says it is "unacceptable that… gay football fans are unable to acknowledge who they love" at the Qatar World Cuphttps://t.co/mbQ5WiAt8Q #PMQs pic.twitter.com/kvkgRgvkF8
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) November 23, 2022
Meanwhile human rights organisations have also been raising questions about the safety of migrant workers who have been involved in the construction related to the World Cup.
Migrant workers, their families, and football fans from Nepal are speaking out about the contributions, sacrifices, and abuses faced to make #WorldCup2022 possible. @FIFAcom and Qatar should remedy abuses of workers. #PayUpFIFA pic.twitter.com/cLKemtEozE
— Human Rights Watch (@hrw) November 18, 2022
Thousands of migrant workers died while building stadiums for Qatar, host of the World Cup that kicked off Sundaytm, making it "the deadliest major sporting event, possibly ever, in history," says Minky Worden (@MinkysHighjinks) of @HRW. pic.twitter.com/jmunTFb2VQ
— Democracy Now! (@democracynow) November 21, 2022
FIFA President Gianni Infantino however has termed outrage over Qatar hosting the World Cup as ‘hypocritical’, saying, “For what we Europeans have been doing in the last 3000 years around the world, we should be apologizing for the next 3000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people.”
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is currently taking place in Qatar until December 18 2022.
