IIt’s important for the world to know that Pakistan is serious about its money laundering problem, hence the investigation into TikTok star Hareem Shah. Financial Action Task Force, are you watching? Who knows, sooner or later this investigation could remove Pakistan from the FATF greylist. That seriousness multiplied by each TikTok video adds up too much. Now, cynics would say the investigation into Shah is as serious as her TikTok confessions at times. But in Naya Pakistan, TikTok is more important than rock-paper-scissors.
This time, Hareem Shah, who is no stranger to controversy or government investigations, ended up in hot water after speaking in a viral social media video about how people should be careful when taking large sums of money abroad because “you get caught.” can”. She added, “Mujhe toh kisi ne kuch nahin kaha, keh bhi nahin sakte (Nobody said anything to me; they can’t)” left a life lesson for anyone listening that the rules only apply to the poor in Pakistan. With two stacks of British pounds in front of her, she shared national sadness at the devaluation of the Pakistani rupee and how the current government’s promises to boost the currency and passport went nowhere. “Kuch nahin kar sake, bas baatein hi kar sake (They could only talk, do nothing),” she said.
An investigation has been launched following social media outrage over the shaming of authorities and “claims” to have brought a large sum of money into the UK via Karachi Airport. And then the TikTok star posted a video explaining that she was just kidding and had no money laundering information. Now that would be no less fun than last year when the entire Pakistani media went into a 007 mode trying to find out if Hareem had married a minister, only to find out it was a prank. This time, however, it was too late. The authorities acted immediately, realizing that this was no hoax, at least according to Shahzad Akbar, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s interior adviser.
This video is enough for those who give meaningless lectures to the world about leadership, intelligence, diplomacy, etc. This is the real meaning of burning bad psychic imprints. pic.twitter.com/53JAQrChls
— Syed Talat Hussain (@ TalatHussain12) January 12, 2022
Although the TikToker insists that Shahzad Akbar should first try to bring former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif back from London and prove money laundering allegations against him and then focus on her. For them, the investigation letter is nothing more than “tissue paper”.
TikTok sarkar
With federal ministers on their speed dial, roaming the corridors of power and often threatening political leaders with “leaked” calls and videos when things go wrong, Hareem Shah has been a constant in Naya Pakistan. She runs a parallel TikTok sarkar that may now seem more powerful than the Tabdeeli sarkar – she accuses Home Secretary Sheikh Rasheed of sending her “lewd videos”, then claims he is a good friend of hers, and votes the minister in a chat show.
Another example was the dispute with Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fayaz-ul-Hasan Chohan, where she threatened to expose him, and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, who slapped a TV presenter when he was searching for the alleged “Hareem Shah Videos” was asked. Chaudhary also wanted media laws against such “baseless allegations” revised. The looming threat of “leaked video bombs” lingers, and there’s so much talk about fighting enemies on the border. These are the real problems facing our ministers. After all, life on duty counts!
Also read: 2021 was the year of fake news and misinformation on social media. It gets worse
Foreign Office ‘jutti thalle’
Don’t forget the episode of Mufti Abdul Qavi in which Hareem Shah slapped him for the alleged “misdeeds” or her memorable visit to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry. She was seen making TikTok videos in the offices with Indian songs playing in the background and sitting in the foreign minister’s chair. Prime Minister Imran Khan also ordered an investigation into Shah’s access to consular-only premises. She stood in front of Jinnah’s portrait while Oh jutti thalle rakhdi aa mitran de dil nu starred in the TikTok video.
Apt comment on contemporary foreign policy – Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi was recently accused of causing a stir with his infamous seated pose during a meeting with the Saudi ambassador. It was also frowned upon by Mitra country. But it was all cleared up by a succinct statement from the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant for Religious Harmony, Tahir Ashrafi: Qureshi Sahib has a back problem, so he usually sits the same way.
Who allows #hareemshah to take the chair from PM @ImranKhanPTI pic.twitter.com/xBe1UiLc7i
— Rj imran official (@rjimranofficial) October 23, 2019
Hareem Shah, an ardent supporter of Imran Khan, also claims that PM invited her to join his party and work on education policy. Although she is a supporter of the PTI, her favorite political leader is the leader of the Pakistan People’s Party, Bilawal Bhutto. Understandably, she was critical of Pakistan’s TikTok ban. Her opinion was that if vulgarity is a problem, PM Imran Khan should enforce Islamic laws and not call for the app to be banned. Now how visionary is that, early signs of leadership? On the surface, it may all seem like a prank. But from what we saw after the 2018 elections and the performance of the Naya Pakistan team, I have to say: Ek chance Hareem Shah ko bhi milna chahiye, and why not?
The author is a freelance journalist from Pakistan. Her Twitter handle is @nailinayat. Views are personal.
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)
Comments are closed.