A video circulating on social media captures anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada being confronted in a public space. An individual directly accused Khanzada of targeting PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in his reporting.
Khanzada, who was accompanied by his family, did not engage with the accuser and walked away from the situation. The incident has prompted significant backlash from political figures and fellow journalists.
Senior officials from across the political spectrum have condemned the confrontation, labelling it an act of intimidation.
Marriyum Aurangzeb, Punjab’s Senior Minister, described the behaviour as unacceptable. She stated it reflected a “mob mentality” and a fundamental lack of decency and civility.
Shameful harassment of @shazbkhanzdaGEO and his wife yet another filthy reminder of the mob mentality Imran Khan has carefully bred within PTI. This crowd does not lack manners, they were never taught dignity, decency or basic humanity. Their entire existence feeds on…
— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) November 17, 2025Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, a PPP leader and Sindh Energy Minister, emphasised that disagreements should be expressed through respectful dialogue, not public harassment.
The journalism community expressed strong solidarity with Khanzada, voicing concern over the safety and dignity of media personnel.
Prominent journalists, including Waseem Abbasi, Ziauddin Yousafzai, Asad Ali Toor, Matiullah Jan, Zahid Gishkori, Faizan Lakhani, and Asma Shirazi, publicly denounced the harassment. They uniformly described the act as inappropriate and unacceptable.
Ziauddin Yousafzai, father of Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai, offered a powerful statement. “This is disgusting and utterly condemnable,” he said. “Khanzada is an honourable man and an outstanding journalist. This incident exposes the ugly face and behaviour of an intolerant cult.”
PTI hasn't taken @shazbkhanzdaGEO to court for defamation because it knows they will be taken to the cleaners — Instead, PTI workers unleashed to harass Pakistan's most credible journalist in front of his family — We stand by Khanzada and condemn this campaign of harassment. https://t.co/IoarXobEAX pic.twitter.com/otojyX2Jha
— Hamza Azhar Salam (@HamzaAzhrSalam) November 16, 2025Shahzeb Khanzada addressed the incident on the social media platform X, defending his professional reporting, specifically regarding the Iddat case. He also noted that his coverage had included reporting on the detention of PTI’s Shahbaz Gill under treason-related laws, providing context for his journalistic record.
The confrontation occurred shortly after The Economist published a piece examining Imran Khan’s marriage to Bushra Bibi, which his party dismissed as propaganda.
