Online smear campaigns against journalists

In a continuation and worsening of the dangers for journalism in Pakistan, a number of social media accounts across various platforms have been involved in spreading “fake news”, and trolling and harassing senior journalists such as Talat Hussain, Muneeb Farooq, Hassan Ayub and Syed Muzammil Shah.

A video by the journalist Talat Hussain, discussing the sectarian attacks on Shia Muslims in the district of Kurram, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which resulted in more than 130 deaths, was selectively edited to misrepresenting his statements, to make it appear that he was speaking about the controversy over the number of PTI protestors that died in the November 24-27 protest march on Islamabad.

Armed men broke into the home of journalist and vlogger Syed Muzammil Shah, threatening him and his family with shots fired into the air. Rather than this invasion of Shah’s home and danger to his family being unanimously condemned, a number of social media accounts appeared to consider it “retribution” for his reporting on the November 24-27 PTI Islamabad protest.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned these online smear campaigns against senior journalists and TV anchors. Claiming that many of the accounts in these campaigns belong to PTI supporters, the PFUJ has requested that the PTI leadership respect freedom of speech and tolerate criticism.