On Tuesday, a leaked audio conversation allegedly between former Prime Minister Imran Khan sparked a new storm in Pakistan, eliciting conflicting reactions from civil society and politicians alike.
The two-part audio clip, allegedly featuring the PTI chairman and an unidentified woman, is the latest in a series of leaked conversations of the former premier since he blamed the incumbent coalition government and the military establishment for voting him out of power earlier this year on American behest.
A voice said to be of former premier can be heard engaging in an intimate conversation over a phone call, while the other voice in the call is of a woman who refuses to meet the man in the audio on the same day citing painful intercourse.
Despite being shared online, the mainstream media of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has not reported it.
On the other hand, journalists Mansoor Ali Khan and Syed Ali Haider have shared their vlogs about the clip. Mansoor also claimed that he knows about the woman (who is being heard in the leaked audio) while refraining to name her.
While the latest leak has raised some eyebrows, it also violates the country’s watchdog’s strict regulations that prohibit such content from being shared online.
Soon after the PTI chief’s critics shared the clip, casting doubt on his character, Khan supporters questioned the authenticity of the leaked audio, calling it “dirty tricks” of the ruling alliance to malign the character of the ousted premier.
Former PM’s digital media focal point and PTI member Dr. Arslan Khalid called the audio “fake,” urging the opposition to think beyond fake audio and videos.
Other PTI leaders also denounced the character assassination of the party chief and lashed out at rivals for stooping to a new low.
