Farrukh Habib says ‘certain quarters’ pushing fake news on first lady

State information minister asks ‘quarters’ to refrain from ‘cheap tactics’

State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Monday called out “certain quarters” for pushing “fake stories” regarding First Lady Bushra Bibi, asking them to refrain from “cheap tactics such as dragging an apolitical woman into politics”.

The minister’s comments follow a report published last week in a local newspaper that suggested the first lady was living with a friend after developing differences with Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Though the report made no mention of the premier and his wife by name, it began a trend on social media today.

Interacting with journalists in Islamabad today, Habib said the government knew of elements spreading ill-considered stories which were factually incorrect and morally devoid. He added that the first lady had no connection to politics at all.

He asked the ones behind the matter to “refrain from dragging a domestic woman into politics for your ill ambitions”.

Following the report’s publication on Friday, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Political Communication Dr. Shahbaz Gill also rejected the idea that the first lady was living in another city. He said that she was living with the premier in Islamabad.

He clarified that she visited Lahore for a week last year, but had not been there for the past few months.