Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Advisor on Social Welfare, Mashaal Yousafzai, stirred controversy by alleging that female reporter Nadia Saboohi solicited money to cover the summary of expensive vehicle purchases. The journalist community swiftly condemned the accusation as baseless and imposed a ban on Yousafzai's entry to the Peshawar Press Club until she retracted her statement.
President Nasir Hussain of the Khyber Union of Journalists and President Arshad Aziz Malik of the Peshawar Press Club denounced Yousafzai's unfounded claims, asserting that such actions undermine the government's and journalists' cordial relationship. They warned of boycotting government events and initiating protests unless an apology is issued.
The journalist community intends to pursue legal action against Yousafzai for defamation, highlighting the seriousness of the matter.
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Meanwhile, journalist Nadia Saboohi's report on the procurement of vehicles by the Social Welfare department triggered the controversy. Despite Yousafzai's assertion that the summary wasn't forwarded to the Chief Minister, she launched a social media campaign accusing Saboohi of soliciting funds, leading to the publication of the news article.
Following backlash from journalists, Yousafzai retracted her social media post alleging Saboohi's misconduct. In a joint meeting, the Peshawar Press Club and the Khyber Union of Journalists demanded a public apology from Yousafzai and the removal of her defamatory tweet against Nadia Saboohi.
