Pakistani media following fake Twitter account of actress Shabnam praising PTI for ousting ‘rapist’

ISLAMABAD - After Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) drive out a politician from Punjab, who was convicted of raping a former film star Shabnam before being pardoned in Zia regime, an account pretending to be the victim actress surfaced on Twitter appreciating the move.

The Twitter handle, which apparently surfaced only recently, appreciated Imran Khan on expelling Farooq Bandial in what appeared to be a save facing move for the PTI.

https://twitter.com/JharnaBasak/status/1002246808448495616

Farooq Bandial, who hails from Punjab’s Khushab district, was handed a death sentence by a Special Military Court in 1979 for committing “armed dacoity” and “gang-rape” of the actress at her house in Gulberg area of Lahore.

Bandial was one of those five accused who allegedly raped the actress in front of her husband and her son.

https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/imran-khan-welcomes-farooq-bandial-rapist-of-pakistani-actress-shabnam-to-pti/

As the suspicious tweet appeared, the local media of Pakistan took it by storm. Major media outlets gave coverage to the actress response without verifying the account, which has posted only six tweets since joining Twitter in July 2013.

A massive backlash erupted online after the media's extraordinary coverage to the message of Shabnam. Social media users slammed the media outlets for airing news without authentication.

Women right's activist Nighat Dad claimed that it is a fake account, adding that "...fake accounts which are trying to change political narratives before upcoming elections. PTI gave party ticket & later took it back from convicted rapist. This account pretending the victim of his rape & thanking PTI".

https://twitter.com/nighatdad/status/1002421169528758272

https://twitter.com/nighatdad/status/1002424768006643714

A user also claimed that the account was made by the media cell of PTI to counter the reaction on opening doors of the PTI on the convicted person.

https://twitter.com/UzairSalar/status/1002271009389662210

https://twitter.com/mhkh123/status/1002257044450181120

https://twitter.com/SardarAqib26/status/1002347363971813377