Why is hashtag 'Ancient Pakistan' trending?
Twitter is a gift that keeps on giving. In the latest, Indians on Twitter woke up to unexpected -- and unfounded -- history lessons from Acting Ambassador of Pakistan to Vietnam Qamar Abbas Khokhar. The bureaucrat shared a reimagined picture of Taxila in 'ancient Pakistan'. What exactly is ancient Pakistan, wondered Indians on Twitter. If the collective memory served right, then Pakistan came into being in 1947. Khokar posted a reimagined photo and said, "An aerial, reconstructed view of Taxila (Takshashila) University, which existed in ancient Pakistan 2,700 years ago near today's Islamabad. Over 10,500 students from 16 countries studied 64 different disciplines of higher studies taught by scholars like Panini." An aerial, reconstructed view of Taxila (Takshashila) University, which existed in ancient #Pakistan 2700 years ago near today's #Islamabad. Over 10,500 students from 16 countries studied 64 different disciplines of higher studies taught by scholars like Panini. @hannan021 pic.twitter.com/xRC5mdkb6g Qamar Abbas Khokhar (@mqakhokhar) December 13, 2020  Needless to say, Khokhar was the victim of some of the choicest trolling. "Your history begins in 1947. Lal Krishna Advani Ji is older than the existence of Pakistan." But Khokhar is not the one to give up easy. He shared two videos of 'ancient Pakistan' that shows how the region was the bed of civilisation. "Dear neighbours! Here are some more details about ancient Pakistan," he said. Dear neighbours! Here are some more details about ancient #Pakistan . pic.twitter.com/83mXsgVcre Qamar Abbas Khokhar (@mqakhokhar) December 13, 2020  "Both Panini, the first linguist in the world, and Chanakya Kautaliya, the world famous political philosopher, were sons of the soil of ancient Pakistan," he claimed. It is unclear if his follow up tweets clarified anything or only enthused netizens to correct him further. This is called re-writing of #history. #Invention of ancient Pakistan to claim historic Taxila #University as part of Pakistani civilisation ! I am equally dismayed at the thought of great scholar Panini being called a Pakistani ! https://t.co/iByu9LPRxc SP Shukla (@Prakashukla) December 14, 2020  There was no ancient Pakistan. There was no Pakistan before Aug 14-15, 1947, let alone 2,700 years ago. Panini & Chanakya taught at Takshashila university. Chanakya mentored Chandragupta Maurya whose empire was spread across the Indian sub continent, capital at Patliputra (Patna) https://t.co/U3DwSGZNIJ shrikant malviya (@ShriMalviyaIN) December 14, 2020  Advani is older than ancient Pakistan https://t.co/Jm2JhL3wmc Nemo (@nirmalyadutta23) December 14, 2020  Every history u cited is correct except for the part that it was part of Ancient Pakistan. There was no Pakistan and no Pakistani history. Give of one quote of Chanakya or Panini where they mentioned the word Pakistan. Do you mean ancient India?. Sharad Pawarji is more ancient then Ancient Pakistan or for that matter Advaniji too.. Abhishek (@abhishekgite) December 14, 2020