Pakistani Journalist Faces Flak for Comparing Masood Azhar with the Dalai Lama

Amid international outcry against Masood Azhar, chief of the Pakistan-based militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad, a Pakistani journalist has come under fire on Twitter for likening Azhar to the Tibetan leader Dalai Lama.

On Wednesday, China blocked India's bid to list Azhar as a global terrorist in the United Nations Security Council, making it the fourth time it did so. While India has expressed its 'disappointment' over the move, international media and governments have also slammed China's sheilding of Azhar.

Meanwhile, Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir has, in a post on the microblogging site Twitter, likened the chief of the terror outfit to Dalai Lama.

"It's very easy to understand why China blocked resolution against Masood Azhar in UNSC... India sheltering an enemy of China since decades and his name is Dalai Lama," Hamid Mir tweeted.

The tweet refers to the 14th and current Dalai Lama's exile in India during the Tibetan uprising of 1959 following which the Noel Peace Prize awardee became a refugee. He is known the world over as a beacon of peace and travels internationally to give talks about the Tibetan people, peace and Buddhism.

The comparison drew outrage on Twitter with many questioning the journalist's logic in likening a man who has been called 'Mahatma Gandhi's Children' by TIME magazine and the spiritual heir to his legacy of nonviolence with a man who has actively been linked to terror outfis, and acts of violence and killing.

Did you just equate the Dalai Lama to Masood Azhar?! 😮Actually, India should be proud it shelters the Dalai Lama. Pakistan should be ashamed it shelters Masood Azhar. https://t.co/co3ghggMXu

— Vikram Chandra (@vikramchandra) March 14, 2019

Yes yes - That vicious terrorist, the Dalai Lama https://t.co/t1DLhNota6

— Ashwin Mushran (@ashwinmushran) March 14, 2019

Yup! No difference between Masood Azhar and the Dalai Lama. https://t.co/8vfgLC8yaF

— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) March 14, 2019

And here we have the distinguished #Pakistan journalist likening globally recognised terrorist #MasoodAzhar to Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dalai Lama. #Facepalm moment https://t.co/6FBQpm1AFp

— Snehesh Alex Philip (@sneheshphilip) March 14, 2019

Haha good comparison. Masood Azhar and Dalai Lama

I’m convinced now #ChinaShieldsMasood https://t.co/AlBDpHVw9k

— Adithya (@WelshLongbowman) March 14, 2019

But some such as Padma Bhushan awardee author Dr David Frawley pointed out that China did indeed treat the Dalai Lama as a terrorist while defending Azhar from UNSC sanctions.

China treats the peaceful Dalai Lama like a terrorist and brutally suppresses the Tibetans while defending world designated terrorists like #MasoodAzar of Jaish E Mohammed in their attacks on India. Chinese diplomatic hypocrisy continues.

— Dr David Frawley (@davidfrawleyved) March 13, 2019

Azhar was arrested by India in 1994 but released after his aids hijacked an Indian plane from Kathmandu to New Delhi and flew it to Kandahar, Afghanistan where they held the passengers and crew hostage only to be released in exchange for Azhar.