Location: Pakistan, Lahore
Date: April 25, 2022

Journalist Gharidah Farooqi was targeted by a supporter of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) during the political rally hosted by the party on Friday, April 22. The man who was caught on camera carried with him a banner with a veiled rape threat against the journalist. Gharidah Farooqi has routinely faced state harassment during the PTI tenure in power and has also faced vicious trolling on social media by its supporters due to her criticism of the political party.

Gharidah took to her social media to bring attention to the culture of harassment of female journalists, demanding a condemnation from the PTI leadership for the manner in which she was targeted during their political demonstration. She also announced that she had registered a complaint with the Federal Investigative Agency in relation to not just the derogatory banner but also the online harassment that she was made subject to as the political rally took place.

The journalist received support from civil society activists as well as other journalists, who condemned the disgusting threat and highlighted the ways in which violence against women journalists has been normalised in the country.

Gharidah has spoken to CFWIJ in the past about the violence she encounters on digital spaces, "Such attacks were known to me as I’ve been a constant target of PTI officials, media cell and paid trolls since 2014, but the intensity has magnified not just for me but for women journalists as a whole in Pakistan since 2018. Dissenting and critical voices are forcefully and tactfully tried to shut down employing the latest techniques of cyber warfare,” she said. “Since 2014, I’ve approached all relevant forums to launch complaints against online attacks on me, but even after seven years, my complaints still lie in the cold corners of these forums. The involvement of government officials in attacks against women journalists is a highly alarming and dangerous situation leaving female journalists vulnerable and helpless to find help for their safety and security,” Garidah revealed.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns this attack on Gharidah and demands that the PTI rein in their followers. The political leadership should immediately issue an apology regarding the matter and discourage its support base from threatening violence against women journalists. Disagreements with journalists who are critical of your political position and policy is possible without resorting to attacks on their person and it is high time the supporters of the PTI understood that.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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