Nawaz Sharif targetted by fake news

By
Saeed Niazi
|

LONDON: Two unverified and completely baseless news stories were spread through Whatsapp groups, social media and a private news channel to target former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

For about a week, a post was run through social media by an individual called ‘Ashoor Baba’ in which it was alleged that Nawaz Sharif held a “secret meeting” at Hasan Nawaz Sharif’s flat with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s London-based exiled leader Altaf Hussain. 

In another news – run through Whatsapp groups and social media forums, which claimed that Nawaz had hired an American public relations and lobbying firm to stage his comeback to power.

The first post started circulating after Nawaz reached London in the last week of August to be with his wife Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, who is undergoing treatment for throat cancer. 

There were feverish speculations about who Nawaz was meeting and whether he will go back to Pakistan or not.

The social media post alleged that a senior diplomat of the Indian High Commission also played a role in facilitating this meeting.

The fake news then made to several TV channels, where anchors and guests presented the fake post as a fact that Nawaz Sharif had met Altaf Hussain at his son’s flat.

Three days ago, Awami Muslim League leader Sheikh Rasheed went a step ahead and relied on the fake post in his address at the National Assembly and claimed that the MQM leader had met Nawaz at Hasan Nawaz’s office. 

A private Pakistani TV channel aired in the UK first claimed that it had been told by “sources” that Nawaz had met Hussain. A channel insider claimed that its reporter, who was stationed outside Hasan Nawaz’s house, saw many people coming with bouquets for Begum Kulsoom Nawaz who had returned home after being at the hospital for treatment.

Many individuals and political parties sent flowers to Kulsoom Nawaz which also included an activist of MQM who came to drop flowers at the reception of the residence. The bouquets were received by the porter and not by any member of the Sharif family. 

Separately, another news was circulated through social media that Nawaz Sharif had hired a PR firm to lobby for him and this was discussed on various talk shows. 

A PMLN source in the UK said that Nawaz didn’t meet Hussain

“It's to the credit of Nawaz Sharif that he launched successful operations against militancy in Karachi and under him, peace returned to Karachi. He stood by the people of Karachi when they faced worst kind of lawlessness. Baseless news is being spread by desperate minds who believe in petty politics and their own lies are exposed when they have no proofs to back up their lies," said the PML-N source

The PMLN source said that it’s laughable that Nawaz Sharif will hire a lobbying firm for his case. 

“People of Pakistan are the biggest lobbyists of Nawaz Sharif who have time and again reposed their trust in him despite all the conspiracies against him, which continue till today. The people of Pakistan stand by Nawaz Sharif and know it well that he has been ousted to damage Pakistan,” said the PMLN leader.