After 'Rapistan' row, J&K IAS Officer Shah Faesal backs Imran Khan. Here's what he said about Pakistan's Prime Minister-designate

Controversial J&K IAS officer Shah Faesal, who was most recently in the news for protesting against the Indian government taking action on his 'Rapistan' tweet, has resurfaced on Twitter to air his views on the Indian media and its coverage of Pakistan's new apparent Prime Ministerial-designate Imran Khan. Taking to the microblogging network, Faesal has written: India is being shamed (internationally) by (a section of) Indian media. The neighbouring country has elected a new PM, he is talking about reconciliation, he is talking about change, but the loudmouths on this side are ranting to ensure that the hostilities continue. Unfortunate. — Shah Faesal (@shahfaesal) July 27, 2018 On Imran Khan specifically, Faesal says, "The neighbouring country has elected a new PM, he is talking about reconciliation, he is talking about change". What Faesal acknowledge, however, is what Imran Khan said in the same news briefing about India and Kashmir, which comprised of: "Unfortunately, the biggest core issue between us is Kashmir" -- after making no mention of cross-border terrorism perpetrated from Pakistani soil in the entire address. "Any army going to a civilian area leads to human rights abuse." -- his analysis of the situation in Kashmir, where, apparently, it is the mere presence of the Indian Army that has caused strife, and not the rampant infiltration of terrorists, terrorism funds, weapons and support from terror launchpads across the border. WATCH | In Celebration Address, Imran Khan Accuses Indian Media Of Making Him 'Bollywood villain', Bats For Trade Ties And Talks "We should attempt to resolve this. If we continue the blame-game and assume 'Pakistan does this' and what happens in Balochistan happens due to India, we won't get anywhere. Let's take the first step." -- a continuation of the rhetoric that India, which shares nothing resembling a border with Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, is somehow involved in creating a scenario there akin to what Pakistan has created in the Valley. He did acknowledge one truth, however: "So far it's been a one-sided relationship: anywhere there's trouble, Pakistan is blamed." WATCH: The Biggest Statements, Most Shocking Omissions, And Absence Of Terror Confessions From Imran Khan's First Speech As Pakistan's Prime Minister-designate Talks over Kashmir is hardly a new proposal. India has maintained, however, that there would be no talks while there is terrorism from Pakistani soil. Earlier in July, Faesal, a 2010-batch IAS officer who is the only person from Jammu and Kashmir to have topped the prestigious civil services examination, had tweeted the official letter issued to him for the following tweet where he referred to India as Rapistan: Patriarchy+Population+Illiteracy+Alcohol+Porn+Technology+Anarchy = Rapistan! — Shah Faesal (@shahfaesal) April 22, 2018 Love letter from my boss for my sarcastic tweet against rape-culture in South Asia. The Irony here is that service rules with a colonial spirit are invoked in a democratic India to stifle the freedom of conscience. I'm sharing this to underscore the need for a rule change. pic.twitter.com/ssT8HIKhIK — Shah Faesal (@shahfaesal) July 10, 2018 Faesal had previously served as the Managing Director of the J&K State Power Development Corporation. He is currently on a study leave as a Fulbright scholar in the US. His Twitter handle lists him as a Mason Fellow at Harvard University. Republic TV had issued a number of questions to Faesal on Twitter, specifically over whether he would call out the U.S, which is his sponsor during his study leave, after it emerged that as per a 2012 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the rate of rape in the U.S was stated as being 15 times higher than that of India. Additionally, a U.S-based NGO called RAINN confirmed that every 98 seconds a woman was sexually assaulted in the U.S. @shahfaesal Mr. Faesal, given the fact that you have received a US-sponsored Fulbright scholarship, will you also speak about the rate of rapes against women in America as part of your ‘Rapistan’ tweets or limit your declarations only to India? — Republic (@republic) July 11, 2018 @shahfaesal Mr. Faesal, when as per an American Organisation called RAINN, every 98 seconds an American is sexually assaulted. Will you tweet about USA being an unsafe place for women? — Republic (@republic) July 11, 2018 @shahfaesal Mr Faesal, as per UNODC data of 2012, the rate of rape in the USA is almost 15 times higher than that of India. Is your reading of the United States of America also “Rapistan”? — Republic (@republic) July 11, 2018 Faesal is yet to reply to Republic TV's questions. Congress president Rahul Gandhi had written a letter to Shah Faesal offering his support, though unlike Omar Abdullah, who gave Faesal his open backing, Rahul Gandhi didn't make his support public. Here's the letter accessed by Republic TV: The central government had in 2016 banned officials from criticising the government on social media. Under these rules, a statement of fact or an opinion which “has the effect of an adverse criticism” of any current or recent policy or action is treated as criticism. Faesal's tweet had been issued following the country-wide outrage over the horrific Kathua rape and murder and the Unnao rape case

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After 'Rapistan' row, J&K IAS Officer Shah Faesal backs Imran Khan. Here's what he said about Pakistan's Prime Minister-designate

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