A video of incarcerated designer Khadija Shah circulated on Twitter last night in which she apologized for and condemned the arson attack on 9TH May in Lahore.
She was among the protestors who came out on the streets following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan by NAB. Shah was named among the suspected protestors accused of rioting and attacking Jinnah House in Lahore.
Her video came following a bizarre and disturbing press conference of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Saturday night that they have intercepted a conspiracy by intercepting an audio conversation. The alleged audio leak talked about how arrested female protestors of PTI will accuse the security officials of sexual assault to gain the attention of international media. He said that there are chances women will claim they are sexually abused during captivity; the woman will probably be a dual national.
Netizens suspected that perhaps it is a preemptive attempt to build a narrative in case such incidents are reported in the media. Others suspected that Interior Minister might be referring to the arrested Khadija Shah; she might have been sexually assaulted, says social media users. Shah before her arrest had claimed that she is a dual national.
A large number of women , many of them peaceful protestors were arrested in demeaning manner in Punjab.
PTI allegation: They were kept in unceremonious and unsafe environment and sexually mishandled. Mishandling was also reported by some part of media amid heavy black out.
They…— Fereeha M Idrees (@Fereeha) May 28, 2023
Is Khadija Shah released ? pic.twitter.com/FkCIV4DmZc
— Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) May 28, 2023
Khadija Shah is still at Kot Lakhpat Jail, I have confirmed it. The video, that has gone viral on Twitter, is an old one and was recorded before she was arrested or surrendered before the authorities.
I have deleted the previous quote-tweet. Thanks
— Roohan Ahmed (@Roohan_Ahmed) May 28, 2023
The video came a day after the mounting backlash on social media as netizens and journalists raised questions on the safety and protection of female political prisoners.
Read more: Imran Forms 7-Member PTI Committee for Talks with Govt
The viral video surfaced on social media in which Khadija Shah condemned the 9th May incident and expressed solidarity with the Pakistan Army. The video gave the perception that Shah has been released following her apology video.
Later, media personnel confirmed that Khadija Shah is still in the captivity of law enforcement agencies with no access to her family and legal counsel. The video was filmed by herself voluntarily before her arrest. Shah voluntarily surrendered before the police after evading arrests for days.