Pakistan: CFWIJ Condemns The Targeted Personal Attacks On Shiffa Yousafzai
Location: Pakistan
Date: March 30, 2021
Morning show host and columnist Shiffa Yousafzai was subjected to targeted personal attacks online. Political commentator and YouTuber Asad Ali Toor recently insinuated in his vlogs that Shiffa gets her job done because of her public relations with certain institutions and ministers. Asad mocked the journalist, saying if a monkey can dance well, that does not mean he should be given a screen. While judging Shiffa’s journalistic caliber, Asad crossed the line and attacked her personally.
CFWIJ condemns the character assassination of Shiffa Yousafzai. We demand that Asad Ali Toor retract his malicious remarks about the journalist. We believe in open discourse, though professional capability should not be evaluated by an individual’s personal life.
During her morning show, Shiffa Yousafzai announced news based on misinformation regarding the son of Prime Minister Imran Khan. After the information was proven factually wrong, YouTuber Asad Ali Toor criticized the host for not doing thorough research on what she discloses on TV. While chastising Shiffa for her lack of knowledge, Asad went on to personally attack her in his vlogs. Asad insinuated that Shiffa uses her relationships with a certain institution and some ministers to remain on screen. She supposedly travels in their helicopters and cars, and the TV channel is prohibiting taking any action against her.
This insinuation towards the morning show host sparked unnecessary online hate and humiliation against Shiffa. People left lewd comments under the vlogs slandering Shiffa’s character and questioning her integrity.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism believes that no woman journalist should suffer harm to their reputation for their unrelated personal life. We offer support to Shiffa Yousafzai and hope that Asad Ali Toor recants his unjustified remarks. CFWIJ believes in professional discourse, but it should never be a platform to subject someone to unnecessary hate.
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
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