Social Media Uproar Forces FO to Clarify Role of Shama Junejo at UN Session

Islamabad: The Foreign Office (FO) has moved to defuse mounting political controversy after columnist Shama Junejo was spotted sitting behind Defence Minister Khawaja Asif during his address at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), sparking a wave of criticism on social media.

On September 25, Asif had represented Pakistan at the UNSC’s session on artificial intelligence, stepping in for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was attending the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA). But the spotlight quickly shifted when images circulated online showing Junejo seated directly behind the minister. Critics resurfaced years-old posts from her X (formerly Twitter) account in which she appeared to express support for Israel.

Facing backlash, Asif stressed he had no involvement in her presence. “This woman or whoever sat behind me was and is at the discretion of the Foreign Office,” he said, adding that his decades-long attachment to the Palestinian cause was a matter of faith and personal conviction. “Who is this woman, why is she with the delegation, and why was she seated behind me? Only the FO can answer these questions.”

The minister’s remarks further fuelled the row, with opponents accusing the government of mismanagement and raising questions about the FO’s internal vetting.

Late Friday night, the FO broke its silence, issuing a carefully worded statement on X. Without naming Junejo, it confirmed that “the individual in question was not listed in the official letter of credence for the Pakistan delegation to the 80th UNGA session, signed by the deputy prime minister and foreign minister.” It added that her seating “did not have the approval of the deputy prime minister/foreign minister.”

Former human rights minister Shireen Mazari weighed in, arguing that no one could be seated behind a minister at the UNSC without official credentials. “So who allowed this to happen and why? Is there a covert policy agenda at work…? GoP needs to come clean — who is responsible?” she posted.

Meanwhile, Junejo hit back at critics, sharing screenshots of more recent posts where she condemned Israel’s assault on Gaza and voiced support for Palestinians.

The controversy has ignited debate over transparency in Pakistan’s diplomatic delegations, with opposition figures seizing on the episode to question the government’s credibility on the Palestine issue.