Who is Javeria Siddique and why is she trending?

Just a few months after the assassination of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya, a vicious campaign has been launched against his wife, Javeria Siddique.

As some social media users made personal attacks on Javeria, who is a journalist by profession, Pakistani Twitter users came out in support of the slain journalist's wife and #StayStrongJaveriaBhabhi became the top trend on the micro blogging network.

Javeria herself shared an emotional tweet in response to the vicious campaign against her, saying her husband was killed with a bullet and she will be killed through character assassination.

میرے شوہر کو گولی سے مار دیا مجھے کردار کشی سے ماریں گے ۔
یا اللہ انصاف کر

— Javeria Siddique (@javerias) February 8, 2023

ارشد تم تو کہتے تھے یہ مردوں کی جنگیں ہیں بات عورتوں تک نہیں آئے گی بیٹیاں بہنیں سانجھی ہوتی۔ ارشد اس ملک میں ایسا نہیں ہوتا دیکھو بیوگی میں بھی میرے سر سے چادر کھینچ رہے ہیں کیا یہ اسلامی ملک ہے ؟

— Javeria Siddique (@javerias) February 8, 2023

Reacting to the vicious campaign against Javeria, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) called it "sad and condemnable" and "against the principles of Islam and humanity".

The HRCP tweeted on its official handle, "The negative campaign on Twitter about Miss @javerias is sad and condemnable. Such actions are against the principles of Islam and humanity. Miss Javeria & her family are already experiencing pain and suffering. We need to appease them. We pray for patience for them. JazakAllah!"

The negative campaign on Twitter about Miss @javerias is sad and condemnable. Such actions are against the principles of Islam and humanity. Miss Javeria & her family are already experiencing pain and suffering. We need to appease them.
We pray for patience for them. JazakAllah!

— Human Rights Council of Pakistan (@HRCPakistan) February 8, 2023

PTI leader Imran Ismail too condemned the propaganda against Arshad Sharif's family and blamed the PML-N social media cell for this dirty campaign. He said he would take legal action against those behind this malicious campaign.

ن لیگ کا میڈیا سیل گھٹیا اور اخلاق سے عاری مہم میں مصروف ہے میرے اور ارشد شہید کی فیملی خلاف مسلسل سوشل میڈیا پر غلط اور بے بنیاد افواہیں پہیلائی جارہی ہیں جس کی میں تردید اور مذمت کرتا ہوں،ارشد شریف کی شہادت پر کیک کاٹنے کر خوشی منانے والوں کے خلاف قانونی کاروائ کرونگا pic.twitter.com/dW5wkozJXk

— Imran Ismail (@ImranIsmailPTI) February 8, 2023

Arshad Sharif (22 February 1973 – 23 October 2022) was a Pakistani journalist, writer and television news anchor. A strong critic of Pakistan's powerful establishment and the corrupt rulers, Sharif specialised in investigative journalism and covered many political events in the country for national and international news organisations, including the United Kingdom.

On 23 March 2019, he was awarded the Pride of Performance by the President of Pakistan Arif Alvi for his contribution to journalism. He was chased out of Pakistan and then shot and killed in Kenya on 23 October 2022.

Arshad Sharif was the host of the program Power Play on ARY News. He served on AAJ News as News Director. Prior to joining AAJ, he was leading the news team of Dunya News as Director of News and was the host of the program Kyun.