Photo by Serje Lahoud from Pexels. Used under a Pexels Licence.
A war that began between the United States and Iran on February 28 led to a two-week ceasefire on April 8, brokered through mediation efforts by Pakistan. Islamabad invited both countries to engage in negotiations. Although the first round of talks, held in Islamabad from April 11 to 12, ended in a deadlock, discussions continued behind closed doors, away from media scrutiny. While political leaders sought a path toward peace, a female anchor from GTV News faced a separate struggle, becoming the target of online harassment and abusive commentary.
On April 11–12, media outlets from around the world gathered at the Jinnah Convention Center in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, located less than two kilometers from the venue where the official talks were taking place. As social media buzzed with commentary on logistical arrangements and even the branding of coffee for journalists, a photograph of Gharida Farooqi, anchorperson at GTV News, wearing a green cord-set suit, went viral—accompanied by derogatory remarks about her attire. Some accounts circulated morphed images of her, while others engaged in gender-based harassment and shared AI-generated videos of the anchor.
Gharida Farooqi, no stranger to online harassment, filed a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) soon after the images began circulating. At the same time, she quietly gathered evidence to help identify those responsible.
‼️‼️‼️IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
گیارہ 11 اپریل 2026 سے جنہوں نے میری تصویر/لباس بارے بےہودہ غلیظ ہراسانی پر مبنی gender based digital violenceاور cyber crime کی منظم کیمپین چلائی ان سب کے خلاف میں نے فوری NCCIA میں شکایت درج کروا دی تھی۔ NCCIA نے بہترین کاروائی کرتے ہوئے ان سب کے… pic.twitter.com/wYOLsJKffN
— Gharidah Farooqi (T.I.) (@GFarooqi) April 24, 2026
‼️‼️‼️ Important Announcement
Beginning on April 11, 2026, I filed a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) against individuals involved in coordinated, gender-based digital harassment and cybercrime targeting me over a photograph and my choice of clothing. Acting promptly, the NCCIA has initiated proceedings and made arrests. One suspect has been apprehended in Chiniot (details are attached in the image), and evidence of the abusive content he created is with both me and the NCCIA. Further arrests are expected in the coming hours. Deleting posts or tweets will not help, as all evidence has been securely preserved. No one will be spared.
This was not merely an attack on one woman; it reflects a broader pattern aimed at intimidating women. The NCCIA’s response sends a clear signal that such actions will not be tolerated, and it strengthens confidence in the enforcement of the law and the role of institutions.
I am especially grateful to the Director General of NCCIA, Syed Khurram Ali Shah, for his personal oversight of this case and his zero-tolerance stance toward crimes against women. I also extend my sincere appreciation to the entire NCCIA team for their efforts.
In a recent tweet, she said that the individuals involved have now been arrested.
محمد ثاقب ولد شمیم اختر، ان کئی مجرمان میں سے ایک، جو میرے خلاف ہراسانی کردار کُشی digital violence اور cyber crime کی کیمپین، جو میرے لباس میری شخصیت کو لے کر 11 اپریل 2026 سے چلتی رہی، میں ملوث رہے۔ مزید مجرمان کی گرفتاریوں کیلئے بھی مسلسل چھاپے مارے جا رہے ہیں اور باقی گرفتار… pic.twitter.com/lpW8KitKDE
— Gharidah Farooqi (T.I.) (@GFarooqi) April 25, 2026
Mohammad Saqib, son of Shamim Akhtar, is among several individuals accused of participating in a campaign of harassment, character assassination, and digital abuse against me — targeting both my clothing and my personality — since April 11, 2026. Authorities are continuing to conduct raids to apprehend others involved. I will keep sharing details of further arrests to raise public awareness and reinforce the message that there is zero tolerance for attacks on the dignity of any woman.
Well done to NCCIA, Director General Syed Khurram Ali Shah, and the entire team.
She received widespread support from friends and followers for taking a stand against the abuse. Many stressed that a journalist should be judged for their work, not their clothing. Muneeb Qadir, author of Age of Intolerance, said such offenders should be made an example of.
Vile comments that led her to launch a complaint
This is not the first time she has been targeted. She has often faced online abuse and character attacks linked to her work, but this time her clothing became the focus. In each instance, she has turned to the authorities to file complaints — and this case was no different.
By the evening of April 11, her photos began circulating on X (formerly Twitter). Some users even compared her to a journalist from Iran who wore a full burqa — a loose garment that covers the entire body and is worn by some Muslim women — and used this contrast to question the moral standards of Pakistani society.
Ahmed Hassan Bobak, a supporter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and chairman of the National Peace Committee for Interfaith Harmony, claimed that the country is heading toward a moral and Islamic societal decline.
جناح کنونشن سینٹر کے مناظر
ایرانی خاتون صحافی اور پاکستانی خاتون صحافی
فرق واضح ہے یہ فرق آپکو پاکستان کے اخلاقی اسلامی معاشرتی زوال کی داستان سنا رہا ہے pic.twitter.com/bKrhBB4QZA
— Ahmad Hassan Bobak (@ahmad__bobak) April 11, 2026
Scenes of the Convention Center Wing
Iranian Female Journalist and Pakistani Female Journalist
The difference is clear; this difference is telling you the tale of Pakistan’s moral Islamic societal decline.
Another account called it a brothel event taking place:
یہ کیا کوٹھا پروگرام چل رہا ہے،
اللہ پاکستان کے حال پہ رحم فرمائے، ہم اسلامی جمہوریہ کم اور بے غیرت جمہوریہ زیادہ لگ رہے ہیں ۔۔۔
یہ ہے وہ کلچر جو ہمارے نامعلوم چاہتے ہیں ہے وقت ۔۔۔ https://t.co/dkUlO0ljT4 pic.twitter.com/WEyeEoMQyF— نکتہ چیں (@SpotsWriter) April 11, 2026
What kind of brothel program is this running,
May Allah have mercy on Pakistan’s condition; we seem less like an Islamic Republic and more like a shameless republic…
This is the culture that our unknown desires want at this time…
A number of people reminded others that women in Pakistan are not legally required to follow a specific dress code, unlike the situation in Iran. Many men were quick to comment on how “vulgar” she appeared, and unfortunately, some women journalists also made similarly harsh and derogatory remarks.
Fauzia Yazdani, a writer and rights activist, shared a screenshot of a tweet that female journalists said:
IFJ Gender coordinator 🤷♀️🤦🏾♀️ https://t.co/Y0ZQIZdRYU pic.twitter.com/I2fXdlaFmM
— Fauzia Yazdani (@yazdanifauzia) April 13, 2026
Translation of the shared tweet: I am truly saddened today to see that our journalists, who are well-known, all preferred Western attire, while our foreign guests are greatly impressed by our traditional clothing. There is great beauty in our shalwar kameez and dupatta.
Harassment against women journalists in Pakistan
According to a UN Women report, Tipping Point: Online Violence Impacts, Manifestations, and Redress in the AI Age, released for World Press Freedom Day 2026, 45 percent of women journalists and media professionals reported self-censoring on social media to avoid abuse — an increase of 50 percent since 2020. The report highlights how such pressures are increasingly pushing women out of public discourse and limiting equal participation in the media space. In many cases, women journalists either self-censor their reporting or avoid bylines altogether to reduce the risk of backlash or institutional pressure.
In Pakistan, this trend has been visible for years, particularly since the rise of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the 2010s. Over time, female journalists have increasingly become targets of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV). They have been subjected to trolling, sustained character assassination campaigns, disinformation, and the exposure of personal data. Many have also received rape and death threats, while deepfakes and AI-generated sexualised images have been created and circulated against them.
After the terrorist attack on Peshawar’s Army Public School in 2014, which left 144 students and staff dead, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 was introduced under the 20-point National Action Plan (NAP) to curb cyberterrorism. It also included provisions aimed at protecting women from online harassment. However, over time, its implementation has not fully reflected these objectives. Critics argue that the law has increasingly been used against free expression, activists, politicians, and journalists. In 2025, an amendment further tightened its provisions.
Read more: Criminalized and silenced: The weaponization of Pakistan’s PECA Act
For years, women have been raising their concerns on various platforms regarding the threats they face. During former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government (2018 to 2022), in 2020, a group of women journalists shared details of online abuse to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Rights. In response to a joint statement issued by women journalists denouncing a cyber-harassment campaign against them by government officials and supporters, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called on the Pakistani authorities to ensure that the online threats and hate messages are stopped. Along with Gharida Farooqi, journalist Asma Shirazi has repeatedly been targeted by a gendered disinformation campaign in online spaces for her work and opinion.
According to the Digital Rights Foundation’s Digital Security Helpline Report 2025, 47 of the 88 journalists who sought support in 2025 were women. Their helpline offers assistance to survivors facing harassment, blackmail, non-consensual sharing of images, impersonation, and coordinated online attacks.
Lubna Jarrar, General Secretary of the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ), the International Federation of Journalists’ (IFJ) Pakistan gender coordinator, and a media trainer, told Global Voices via WhatsApp that women are often objectified in the media, calling it a persistent problem. She noted that despite the growing presence of women across professions, including journalism, their appearance frequently overshadows their words, work, and achievements. “It is unfortunate that women have to work harder than men to be taken seriously, even when they are doing the same job with the same level of professionalism,” she said.
She further added: “If we are criticizing the outfits of some journalists, then why don’t we comment on ill-fitting suits, untidy hair or facial hair, poor posture, or unconventional eyewear frames among men? Often, we focus on what men are saying simply because of their gender. One section of journalists is taken more seriously for being men, while women are expected to be more mindful of wearing ‘appropriate clothes’ than focusing on their work.”
