LAHORE: Former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association Asma Jahangir alleged on Friday that “a filthy, inciteful and utterly false propaganda campaign” was being run to tarnish her image.

In a statement, the renowned lawyer and rights activist said the campaign was “motivated at the behest of a powerful lobby and their henchmen”. It was obvious that the vilification campaign was an attempt to make an issue when none existed and for some sinister motive, she added.

“The accusation that a senior lawyer was attacked by me from pursuing his case is a blatant lie. Its reporting, in a section of the press, is equally malicious as it has been deliberately sensationalised by publishing a 2007 photograph of mine next to the false news item attempting to show that I am screaming at someone across.

“In reality, this photo has been published widely in 2007 where I was shouting at the police for using force against lawyers during the lawyers’ movement. This is the extent to which self-proclaimed pious men go to incite others to violence against those they cannot intimidate into utter submission to their dictates,” Ms Jahangir said.

“My statements have also been distorted both in their language and timing. This deliberate hype is being created to promote some ulterior motives. I vehemently deny having approached any lawyer from abandoning his brief or passed any statement to that effect. The incitement against me on the social media is an offence and the government should take action against postings that incite hatred or violence against anyone,” she added.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2017