Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill in a press conference on Thursday allegedly accused senior journalist Asma Shirazi of maligning First Lady Bushra Bibi in an article about the existing political situation and the government’s handling of it.
Gill held a presser in connection with the article written by Shirazi for BBC Urdu, which criticised the government without naming any individual, including Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife.
Critising Shirazi for her article, Gill said, “While criticising, people forget that First Lady Bushra Bibi is a daughter of Pakistan first, then she is a mother and then a wife. If you have any proof Asma Shirzai Sahiba of all the things you have accused her of, then you have every right to report news if you have the proof of it, but don’t make news out of assumptions.”
“If you dislike the prime minister’s family, you can hold a grudge against them, but there are ethical limits.”
Gill expressed resentment with some senior journalists for supporting Shirazi [on Twitter] with the hashtag ‘I stand with Asma Shirazi’.
He asked whether she was doing “all this after failing to find any scandal of the PM in the last three years”.
Gill’s presser was widely critised. Press clubs in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Quetta will ban Gill’s entry unless he apologises to Asma Shirazi for baseless allegations.
Lahore Press Club released a statement condemning the vile comments of PM’s aide and said, “All Press Clubs of Pakistan will ban the entry of Shahbaz Gill, and the media will boycott him.”
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan tweeted, “HRCP is appalled by @SHABAZGIL’s slurs against senior journalist @asmashirazi and his attempts to disparage her professional and personal integrity. Such behaviour reflects the govt’s regrettable antipathy towards critical reportage, which is every journalist’s right.”
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) warned of serious consequences for the use of abusive and intimidating language against Asma Shirazi by Shahbaz Gill.
Journalist Benazir Shah tweeted, “The special assistant to the prime minister for political communication just held a press conference against journalist Asma Shirazi, who is already being viciously trolled and attacked since yesterday. This is what targeted harassment looks like by govt officials.”
Lawyer Reema Omer tweeted, “Shahbaz Gill’s vile press conference against @asmashirazi is a new low for this Government And given their already atrocious record on media freedom, this is saying a lot.”
Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) official Twitter account posted a video of an old telephonic conversation between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif and journalist Asma Shirazi during a telephonic press conference. The tweet came after journalists condemned the ruling party for targeted harassment.
PTI’s official account also asked social media users to mention the names of the journalists who have blocked them for ‘questioning’ the journalists.
“We have received a lot of feedback from folks who have been blocked unfairly by journalists for asking questions (no abuse or harsh language at all). If you suffered an unfair block, mention in this thread. We will request journalists to unblock you,” the tweet from the official Twitter handle of the ruling party read.
