Spreading fake news is wrong: Asad Umar hits out at women journalists

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Asad Umar, hit out at women journalists in Pakistan who criticised PTI supporters for allegedly threatening and harassing them.

A joint statement by prominent Pakistani female journalists accused the ruling party of harassing and hacking social media accounts of reporters and analysts, alleging that the PTI supporters were involved in abusing women journalists.

“Using abusive language against anyone…. Man or woman is wrong. Period. Spreading fake news is wrong. Period. Labelling those who call out your fake news as abusers is wrong. Period. All these three things are happening. All three should be condemned,”tweeted the federal minister. 

Using abusive language against anyone…. Man or woman is wrong. Period. Spreading fake news is wrong. Period. Labelling those who call out your fake news as abusers is wrong. Period. All these three things are happening. All three should be condemned.

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) August 12, 2020

Male journalists such as Omar Warraich and Abbas Nasir slammed Umar for not being sympathetic enough to female journalists’ plight.

“There’s no equivalence here. Men aren’t targeted for their gender. A ruling party with a vast social media army is far more powerful – and dangerous – than individual journalists doing their job,” tweeted Warraich. 

There’s no equivalence here. Men aren’t targeted for their gender. A ruling party with a vast social media army is far more powerful – and dangerous – than individual journalists doing their job.

— Omar Waraich (@OmarWaraich) August 12, 2020

Quite a sad day to read Asad Umar’s tweet. Really.

— Abbas Nasir (@abbasnasir59) August 12, 2020

A joint statement by women journalists Wednesday decried the ruling party for “the vicious online attacks through social media are instigated by government supporters”.

“In some cases, journalists have been locked out of their social media accounts as a result of hacking attempts,” read the statement.

“Our social media timelines are then barraged with gender-based slurs, threats of sexual and physical violence. These have the potential to incite violence and lead to hate crimes, putting our physical safety at risk,” it added.

“Last July, Shireen Mazari, the minister for human rights, promised to take notice of threats against journalists and to address the climate of abuse, bullying, fear, and censorship. Ms. Mazari, we are waiting,” the statement said.