- Imran Khan says Japan and Germany share a border
- A video of the remarks goes viral online
- Khan is being trolled for his comments
Dubai: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan once again became a target for trolls as a video of him, claiming that Germany and Japan share a border, emerged online.
The premier said while speaking at an event in Tehran, during his two-day official visit to Iran: “The more trade you have with each other your ties automatically become stronger… Germany and Japan killed millions of their civilians until after the second World War when they both decided to have joint industries on their border regions.”
After the second World War, France and Germany that share borders were the two countries that collaborated to lay the foundation of the European Union.
Khan’s video of his comment involving Germany and Japan that is located in East Asia quickly spread across social media platforms with users disappointed that the remarks were made in front of an international audience.
Twitter user @FarhatullahB thought that the incident was embarrassing for the country: “The statement of Imran Khan about joint industrial projects set up along ‘German-Japan border’ before a distinguished gathering in a foreign country must find a place in record books. At home a monumental failure; abroad a comic embarrassment, is what IK [Imran Khan] has been.”
Syed Talat Hussain, a prominent Pakistani journalist was one of the first people to share the clip. He, @TalatHussain12, posted: “Japan is an island country in East Asia located in the Pacific. Germany is in central Europe. They had the same location during the 2nd World War in which they were allies. But PM Imran thinks otherwise and says so before international audience.”
Replying to Hussain’s comment, tweep @qureshimsohail had a suggestion for the premier: They must arrange tutorials for this guy before any state visit to avoid international embarrassment.”
Whereas, Twitter user, @ayeshaijazkhan highlighted other questionable remarks the leader has made in the past: “ [Those who voted for Khan] will continue to defend but since he became PM, Imran Khan has said: 1) Germany and Japan fought each other in the Second World War and they share a border; 2) Africa is a country; 3) Chinese trains travel faster than the speed of light; So general knowledge clearly lacking.”
However, there were those who continued to defend the leader and referred to the mishap as a “slip of the tongue”. User @iakhan posted: “Slip of tongue... probably wanted to say Germany and France.”
Bilawal Bhutto chimes in
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also mocked Khan for the mistake while trying to get the University of Oxford, where Khan studied, involved.
He, @BBhuttoZardari, tweeted: “Our Prime Minister thinks that Germany and Japan share a border. How embarrassing, this is what happens when you @UniofOxford let people in just because they can play cricket.”
