Senior analyst Orya Maqbool Jan faced backlash for posting and subsequently deleting a falsified image of Maryam Nawaz Sharif on the social media platform X.
Maqbool Jan’s post, which inappropriately criticized Sharif, drew parallels to historical instances where images were used politically, notably referencing a photo of Nusrat Bhutto that sparked controversy decades ago.
The journalistic community has condemned the act. Journalist Shafaat Ali, addressing the broader issue of misinformation, humorously suggested minimizing VPN usage during Ramadan to avoid the circulation of inauthentic images and the spread of “mental nudity,” a term he used to describe the underlying motivations of hate expressed through such acts.
Mubashir Zaidi, a senior journalist, called for the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate Maqbool Jan’s actions, highlighting the seriousness of the offence in the professional community.
Asad Ali Toor criticized the trend of targeting female politicians for slander, emphasizing the societal damage caused by such baseless attacks and the ease with which they attract negative attention.
Atif Tauqeer questioned the enforcement of laws in the country that allow individuals like Maqbool Jan to propagate hate without repercussions, explicitly stating that Maqbool Jan fails to meet the standards of a journalist or an analyst but rather acts as a purveyor of divisiveness.
Salman Durani, a YouTuber, pointed out the irony in the situation, noting that some of those criticizing Maqbool Jan have previously engaged in similar campaigns against women in politics, thereby exposing a double standard within the journalistic community regarding the treatment of female figures in public life.
