Pakistan Army Spokesperson Winks At Female Journalist During Press Conference, Faces Outrage
Pakistan: Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director of the Pakistani military's media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), is facing widespread criticism after winking at a female journalist during a press conference when she asked a question related to former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned.
The video of the press conference is now rapidly going viral on social media. In the video, the female journalist, Absa Koman, asks him, "How is this different from before, or should we expect any changes in the future?"
Lieutenant General Chaudhry replies, "Add a fourth point to this – he (Imran Khan) is also mentally ill." He then smiled and winked at journalist Absa Koman.
Shameless. Pakistan Army Spokesperson seen winking at a female journalist during a press conference. In any normal country there would have been a public and media outrage and immediate action by the institution. In Pakistan harassment of women is normal.pic.twitter.com/nFYpcrL3jK
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) December 9, 2025
Reactions poured in on social media. People questioned how a uniformed officer could behave in such a manner on a public platform. Another user wrote, "This shows how unprofessional their army is. How can someone in uniform wink like that publicly?"
Many users called it an "unprofessional act" by the army. One user wrote, "All this is happening openly in front of the camera. Democracy is dead in Pakistan. The Prime Minister is just a puppet." While another wrote, "This has become a meme of a nation."
Recently, Chaudhry had described Imran Khan as a narcissist and said that his political ambitions have become so extreme that he believes if he is not in power, nothing should happen. However, he did not directly name Imran Khan. Chaudhry said that those meeting Imran Khan in jail are being used to "spread venom against the army."
75% women journalists are victims of online violence, one in four receives physical or death threats: UNESCO #journalists #Press #Womenjournalists #UNESCO https://t.co/jrqVCewViy
— VOiCE OF MEDIA (@voiceofmedia1) November 2, 2025
Chaudhry accused Imran Khan of inciting hostility against the army. He said, "We will not allow anyone to create a rift between the Pakistani army and the public," and also stated that constitutional rights have certain limitations, especially in matters related to national security threats.
Lieutenant General also stated that Indian media, social media accounts linked to Indian research agencies, and Afghan networks are promoting Imran Khan's anti-military posts online.
General Chaudhry is often in the news for making anti-India statements and launching sharp attacks on Imran Khan during press conferences. His family background has also been a subject of controversy, as his father's name was previously linked to terrorist activities.
