The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing arrested YouTuber and host Dr Umar Adil on August 6. The arrest followed a complaint filed by Gharida Farooqi, a prominent anchor at a private news channel, alleging that Adil had made defamatory remarks against her.
The FIA spokesperson confirmed that Dr Adil is under investigation for allegedly spreading false accusations about Farooqi. The spokesperson stated, “A formal case has been registered against Umar Adil, and he is currently being investigated by the Cyber Crime Wing.”
On July 25, 2024, prominent orthopedic doctor Dr Adil made derogatory and sexist remarks against journalist Gharidah Farooqi and other women media professionals during an online program hosted by vlogger Zohaib Saleem Butt. In response, Farooqi initiated legal action, filing a legal notice against Butt on July 26.
Butt then issued a public apology on his YouTube channel, acknowledging that his vlog had harmed Farooqi’s reputation and that of women journalists, contributing to tech-facilitated gender-based violence. Farooqi expressed hope that this apology would deter future misogynistic and defamatory content against women in media, asserting that they are prepared to use legal means to protect themselves and their community.
In addition to Farooqi’s complaint, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari also lodged a separate complaint against Adil. Bukhari accused Adil of making offensive remarks about Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and other female anchors in his vlogs. She described Dr Adil’s comments as “baseless and derogatory,” calling for stringent action against him.
