ISLAMABAD – A minor slip of tongue by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz during rally in Mianwali ignited new controversy across social media, as PTI trolls had a field day and it all ended with arrest of a journalist.
During her Thursday speech, CM said: “Maryam Nawaz does not just make claims like Nawaz Sharif, but she delivered results.” Her critics cropped th clip, and it was all over the internet. Journalist Khurram Iqbal, who shared the clip online, alleges that on Friday afternoon, he was forcibly taken from his sister’s home in Lahore by unidentified individuals.
Khurram said he was arrested in plain clothes. Some officials appeared in plain clothes and did not show a warrant. He mentioned claiming he was held for nearly eight hours, shuttled across Lahore streets, CCD office, Iqbal Town police station, and FIA office before finally being released, with accusation of creating and spreading a “fake video” under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
He said the original clip remains available on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s official social media page, and on official pages of TV channels. Narrating his ordeal, Khurram said “During my custody, I was repeatedly accused of editing the video, which I denied. If I made a mistake, I apologized,” he said. “I didn’t think that such a minor slip of tongue would lead to such extreme action against me.”
The incident sparked outrage. Several journalists accused Punjab government of “making a journalist disappear,” saying that “this did not even happen under military dictatorships.” Some even demanded that Azma Bukhari, Punjab’s Information Minister, be removed from her post and apologize to Khurram.
Azma earlier insisted that Khurram was under custody for allegedly spreading a fake video. She further accused him of being a “propaganda cell member” rather than a genuine journalist and shared both the original and edited videos to justify her position.
The incident once again spotlighted the tension between Pakistan’s ruling establishment and the press. While some officials defend the use of PECA, critics argue that using it against journalists over minor verbal slips undermines democratic norms and freedom of expression.
Maryam Nawaz’s slip of tongue draws attention at Mianwali rally
