PM Shehbaz faces backlash for serving Coca-Cola at Arshad's dinner amid boycott movement

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hosted a lavish dinner for Pakistan's Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem, but the event was marred by controversy over the presence of Coca-Cola soft drinks amid the boycott movement.

The 27-year-old sportsman won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 with a record-breaking javelin throw of 92.97 meters on August 8.

Arshad, along with his family, received a grand welcome from PM Shehbaz when they reached the Prime Minister House in the federal capital.

He was honoured by PM Shehbaz with a cash prize of Rs150 million during the event.

The premier also announced naming the road between F9 and F10 in Islamabad after the gold medalist.

The official handle of Pakistan Mulsim League-Nawaz (PML-N) shared pictures of the event on the microblogging site X.

Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif hosted a banquet in honor of Olympic Gold Medalist Arshad Nadeem, his Family and other Olympians and national athletes at the Prime Minister's House. pic.twitter.com/fcYXJ1GBtU

— PMLN (@pmln_org) August 13, 2024

However, social media users pointed out that the dinner table featured Coca-Cola and 7up, which are being boycotted by Muslim countries due to their ties with Israel. 

The boycott against Coca-Cola stems from its franchisee's operation in the Atarot Settlement Industrial Zone in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory.

Netizens lashed out at PM Shehbaz, criticising his authorities' decision to greet guests with the controversial soft drinks at the event.

Social media users called the action a "thoughtless move" that contradicted the government's previous claims.

Earlier in July, the Pakistani government termed Israel a terrorist state, saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been committing war crimes against innocent citizens in Palestine.

PM Shehbaz-led setup also dispatched a shipment of goods comprising fruits and medicines weighing more than 1,000 tonnes to Palestine.

Almost 39,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed by the Israeli military since October 7, 2023.

As many as 91,700 people have been injured in the Israeli attacks in the besieged enclave, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

The Israeli war has left vast tracts of Gaza in ruins, with a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

Earlier, the International Court of Justice had also ordered Israel to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge before it was invaded on May 6. 

Israel stands accused of genocide, and the international community continues to call for an end to the violence.