"Pakistan mein talent ki koi kami nahi hai" ("There is no shortage of talent in Pakistan") is a phrase often heard from politicians, public figures and cricketers discussing the country's challenges, including poverty, underdevelopment and economic issues. The same line was invoked by Pakistani journalist Muhammad Aalijah while filming a purported driverless car in Islamabad. Moments later, the vehicle crashed into a police van parked by the roadside, turning the demonstration into an unintended viral moment.
When contacted, Aalijah told Dawn that he had been asked by technology enthusiast Ehsan Zafar of Abbottabad to report on his tech-based automated-driving innovation.
"Everything was fine until a technical fault occurred due to an internet disruption, causing the car to go out of control and crash into a police vehicle," he said.
Aalijah explained that the car was controlled remotely over the internet and that a sudden loss of connection caused it to go out of control.
The video, which appeared to showcase Pakistan's ability to develop driverless vehicles similar to Tesla's autonomous cars, quickly became a meme on social media. Many users shared the clip along with humorous captions.
Actor Ranvir Shorey reposted the video with the caption: "Presenting Pakistan's answer to the self-driving Tesla: The Masla."
The video was shot at Islamabad's D-Chowk area.
Meanwhile, Pakistani journalist Muhammad Aalijah shared the clip and claimed: "The vehicle was operating via satellite and the internet. However, as soon as the internet connection was disconnected during remote operation, the vehicle went out of control and crashed into a police vehicle."
He further alleged that the incident occurred in a high-security area with minimal traffic.
"Had the same situation occurred on a busy road, the consequences could have been extremely dangerous, even fatal. Technological innovation is commendable, but not at the cost of human life," he added.
"This video is not criticism; it is a responsible effort to raise awareness and issue a warning - by all means, experiment, but ensure safety first," he added.
Under Aalijah's post, several Pakistani social media users left humorous comments about the incident.
"Brother, you spoke about talent at the wrong time," wrote one user.
"You didn't get beaten up by the police? You were lucky?" joked another.
"What talent! It avoided everything else and went straight into the police car," commented a third user.
"Brother, I'm laughing so hard, I don't even know what to say," wrote another.
