Unpacking Gharidah’s WhatsApp Source: A Copy-Paste Controversy?

Social media users dissected a tweet by Pakistani television host Gharidah Farooqi, criticizing the Supreme Court’s suo motu notice on the judges’ letter concerning interference by intelligence agencies despite the government’s establishment of a commission to investigate the matter.

On the social media platform X, Shahzad Akbar shared a tweet and WhatsApp screenshot from senior journalist and analyst Gharidah Farooqi. The screenshot revealed that a narrative against the Supreme Court’s suo motu notice had been crafted two hours prior, which Farooqi published verbatim, adhering to principles of transparency.

Another X user, Imran Afzal Raja, commented, “Awards are not earned without effort,” implying that one must dance to the tunes, engage in copy-pasting, and frequently conclude with “end of story” to be considered for honours.

Farooqi’s tweet and WhatsApp message surprisingly noted that only two days after the Supreme Court formed a one-member commission, a seven-member bench was established, following a prior agreement between the Chief Justice and the Prime Minister of Pakistan to form a one-member commission.

In a detailed tweet, Farooqi stated that the Chief Justice of Pakistan formed a seven-member larger bench in response to a letter from six judges, shockingly just two days after the agreement between the Supreme Court and the Prime Minister to establish a one-member commission, previously decided upon after settling matters between the Chief Justice and the Prime Minister.

The commission, led by Justice Tassaduq Jillani, was formed immediately after these discussions. The Supreme Court issued a formal press release detailing the terms of reference for the inquiry, which would investigate the serious allegations made by the six judges.

However, the Chief Justice of Pakistan announced the form of a seven-member larger bench.