Apple CEO Tim Cook earlier this week opened the company's first two retail stores in India. Hundreds were seen lining up outside both stores in Mumbai and Delhi on the launch day. Tim Cook also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and said Apple was committed to growing and investing across the country.
Apple opening retail stores in India has evoked a flurry of reactions from Pakistanis, whose country is facing the worst economic crisis in decades due to depleting forex reserves and record inflation. While some have blamed the government for the current cash crunch, others think the country's stringent laws are keeping foreign investors away.
Usman Khan, a consultant surgeon and visiting associate professor, posted two contrasting pictures of India and Pakistan. He said while India was seeing its first Apple store, Pakistan arrested a Chinese person for blasphemy. "Left: Tim Cook CEO of Apple today inaugurating Apple store in India; Right: Chinese arrested for alleged blasphemy in Pakistan. Welcome foreign investors!" he tweeted while sharing two pictures.
Amanullah Kanrani, a member of the Pakistan Senate from 2003 to 2006, too shared the same pictures with the same description while commenting on the launch of the first Apple stores in India.
Another Twitter user, Muhammad Tariq Bilal, said India had got Apple store while Pakistan had got "establishment". It was an apparent reference to the Army and ISI, which call the shots in Pakistan. "India got Apple Store, Pakistan got Simple Establishment," Bilal, an IT professional, wrote on Twitter.
Noman Sattar, an academic and Fulbright Fellow, targeted the Pakistan government saying the country was not even able to take care of its zoo animals or its currency - which has tumbled in the last few months. "Indians celebrate the opening of the first Apple store in Mumbai, Pakistan is unable to take care of its Zoo animals or its currency, even its institutions. For now, we have to do with I-phones," he said.
Just a week ago, Pakistan's GeoTV reported that the federal and the Sindh government were mulling shutting down Karachi Zoo permanently as the animals kept there faced terrible living conditions and were not properly fed.
Taking a swipe at Pakistan, another user wrote that while Apple was opening stores in India, Islamabad was trying to secure funds for the 12 time from IMF.
"In India, Apple opened Apple store. Meanwhile, Pakistan try to open the IMF door for 12th time," he said. Pakistan's foreign reserves have declined significantly and it has been trying to secure funds to avoid default. The country's low growth, high current account deficit, and high inflation have put it in a precarious situation.
Asad, another user, said: "The farce of Pakistan ever being comparable to India has finally dissipated". He said Pakistan was nothing in comparison with India. "We are nothing in comparison, this delusion of a rivalry was propagated by the lumber 1 to hoard properties and generational wealth in the name of 'defence budget against big bad India'," he said.
Eman Mudassar Tarar, a columnist, too compared the situation in India and Pakistan. She said while hundreds were lining up outside Apple stores in India, people were queuing up for atta in Pakistan.
"Apple CEO Tim Cook inaugurated the first retail store in Mumbai, India. While 100s queued up outside the Apple store in Mumbai, 100s queued up to get free flour bags in Pakistan! What a downfall of the country we have been witnessing since last year!" she said.
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