On January 10, the Network of Women Journalists for Digital Rights (NWJDR) issued a statement condemning the “relentless harassment and gendered disinformation campaign” targeting senior journalist Asma Shirazi. According to the statement, the campaign is being driven by “supporters of prominent political parties, as well as political commentators and vloggers.”

“The harassment and vile remarks directed at Asma Shirazi are baseless and amount to character assassination orchestrated by online trolls and influential political commentators,” the NWJDR stated.

Addressing the harassment on X, Shirazi underscored the resilience of female journalists, saying, “Women have always been easy targets of harassment, but we refuse to be silenced. We stand steadfast for truth and will continue to speak out, no matter the cost.”

In an interview with Dawn.com, Shirazi detailed how women’s images are misused and vulgar content is created to discredit and intimidate them. She criticized the role of political figures and their supporters who fuel such attacks through social media for monetary and political gains, though she refrained from naming specific individuals. Shirazi also expressed the frustration shared by female journalists over persistent harassment on platforms like X and Facebook, while reaffirming their determination to continue combating these issues.

The Anchors Association has also condemned the smear campaign against Shirazi.