LONDON — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz late on Tuesday night apologised for her comments on a social media post showing slain Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif’s coffin at a Kenyan airport before it was transported to Pakistan.
Arshad Sharif, a strong critic of the incumbent Pakistani rulers and the military establishment, had to flee Pakistan a few weeks ago to save his life after reports surfaced that he was on the hit list of those he was criticising.
Soon after he landed in Dubai, there are reports the Pakistani government allegedly wrote to the UAE government to hand him over to the Pakistani authorities. In consequence, the UAE government allegedly told Arshad to leave the country, and he fled to Kenya, which offers Pakistanis visa on arrival.
Soon after Maryam retweeted with her comments a tweet from one of her party workers showing Arshad’s coffin, it triggered a storm on social media with people calling these comments inappropriate and cruel.
Commenting on the tweet, Maryam wrote: “I don’t feel good RTing this but this is a lesson for the mankind that we must all imbibe”.
The tweet added to the anger caused nationwide by Arshad’s killing and people from all walks of life reacted strongly to Maryam’s comments.
@MaryamNSharif have a heart. Show some character and delete this ridiculous tweet. A Pakistani journalist is brutally killed and this is neither the way or time to settle scores. pic.twitter.com/GObHcY2vLr
— Azhar Abbas (@AzharAbbas3) October 25, 2022
مریم صفدر کا خاص صحافی بھی مریم صفدر کی فرعونیت کو ہضم نا کرسکا pic.twitter.com/e47ffOC8mS
— Ans Hafeez (@PakForeverIA) October 25, 2022
میں لعنت بھیجتا ہوں ایسی عورت پہ پھٹکار ایسی عورت پہ بغیرت… حرام کی پلی
خلیل الرحمان نے مریم نواز کو زمین بوس کر دیا pic.twitter.com/nrZt7ak7iS
— Haqeeqat TV (@Haqeeqat_TV) October 25, 2022
یہ ویڈیو پاکستان میں کام کرنے والے ہر صحافی، اینکر تجزیہ نگار کے منہ پر تماچہ ہے اور انکو پیغام ہے کہ انکی نظر میں آپ سب کی اوقات کیا ہے ـ اگر تھوڑی سی بھی غیرت ہوگی تو آج کے بعد اس کے خلاف سب کھڑے ہوجائیں گے ـ کوئی بے غیرت ہی ہوگا جو اسکی سپورٹ کرے گا pic.twitter.com/tICxAKqPK7
— 𝑭𝒂𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒉𝒂𝒋 (@iamfarhansindh) October 25, 2022
In her apology, Maryam wrote, “My tweet was NOT aimed at mocking someone but about learning our lessons from the past. I am undoing the tweet & apologise for the hurt it may have caused to the aggrieved which never was my intention. May no one ever have to go through this pain. Prayers for the bereaved family.”
My tweet was NOT aimed at mocking someone but about learning our lessons from the past. I am undoing the tweet & apologise for the hurt it may have caused to the aggrieved which never was my intention. May no one ever have to go through this pain. Prayers for the bereaved family.
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) October 25, 2022