New Delhi: The many scandals surrounding former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan moved away from the political and financial to the sexual Tuesday as multiple audio files purported to be the former PM’s phone sex conversations surfaced on social media.
The audio files, which have yet to be authenticated, are alleged to be of Khan engaging in intimate remarks on the phone with a woman, rumoured to be a former political aide belonging to Khan’s party — Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The leaking and content of these alleged sex chats have prompted widespread outrage and mockery from Pakistanis, with some making jokes at Khan’s expense while others expressing discomfort with the idea of publicising and leaking private conversations.
Among those finding the humour in this controversy include journalists Naila Inayat and Gul Bukhari, who respectively likened the former Pakistani PM to Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi and a “C-grade” pornography actor installed by “D graders”.
In the alleged sex call leak, Imran Khan has become Emraan Hashmi.
— Naila Inayat (@nailainayat) December 19, 2022
He would make a great C grade porn star.
And D graders installed him.
— Gul Bukhari (@GulBukhari) December 19, 2022
Meanwhile, journalists Raza Ahmad Rumi and Bilal Farooqi, and podcaster Shehzad Ghias Shaikh hit out at the leaks themselves, labelling the dissemination of chats recorded behind closed doors as “disgusting” and “unethical”.
Appalled at the new audio leaks doing rounds on social media. I totally abhor and oppose personal conversations recorded and then leaked to discredit politicians or other public personalities.
This must stop.— Raza Ahmad Rumi (@Razarumi) December 19, 2022
Haven’t heard Imran Khan’s latest audio leak. I’m glad I haven’t. I am unaware about its content & what I am observing from the tweets of those who have heard it, it appears that the matter was very personal. It’s unethical to leak somebody’s personal stuff, no matter who it is..
— Bilal Farooqi (@bilalfqi) December 20, 2022
Disgusting and shameful to leak this Imran Khan phonecall.
Those who record and leak private conversations should be brought to task. With @ImranKhanPTI on this one. This is a severe breach of privacy.
— Shehzad Ghias Shaikh (@Shehzad89) December 19, 2022
Although Imran Khan himself hasn’t publicly commented on the audio files, PTI leader and former Focal Person for Digital Media to Khan, Arsalan Khalid, has described the chats as fabricated. Khalid is the Minister of Information Technology (IT) in the PTI-led coalition government in Pakistan’s Punjab province.
انکے باہر بیٹھے کوچ کی سوچ فیک آڈیوز/ویڈیوز سے آگے نہیں جا سکتی۔ معیشت تباہ ہوگئی،انڈسٹری آخری سانسیں لے رہی،بے روزگاری دن بدن بڑھ رہی اور انکے فیک آڈیوز والے شوق ہی ختم نہیں ہورہے۔ تمھارے ہر وار سے عوام کا کپتان پر یقین پختہ ہو رہا کہ کیسے سب مل کر ایک شخص کے خلاف لگے ہوئے ہو
— Dr Arslan Khalid (@arslankhalid_m) December 19, 2022
Journalist Syed Sammer Abbas also doubted the authenticity of the audio files, arguing that the voice on the chats does not match that of the cricketer-turned-politician.
Dubbed audio.
I have covered @ImranKhanPTI 2010 to 2016 as a beat reporter. Listened each and every speech and press conference of him. This is not Imran khan rather a fake and dubbed audio.
very shameful act. https://t.co/rbJiDoEuvd— Syed Sammer Abbas (سید ثمر عباس) (@SammerAbbas) December 19, 2022
A source familiar with the matter told ThePrint that although these leaks form part of an overall confrontation between Imran Khan and his political opponents, it is the first time that Khan has been embroiled in a purported sex scandal, and those behind the leaks appear to be operating in a strategy of drip-feeding the audio files to the public.
Khan had previously been the subject of leaked audio chats in October this year, which he termed “deep fakes” created and presided over by Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Maryam Nawaz.
Fending off continued corruption allegations following the political crisis that led to his departure as Prime Minister this year, Khan had also been levelling allegations about a “conspiracy” led by the United States to remove him as PM.
Moreover, the source alleged that the timing of the leaks is potentially linked to Khan’s announcement that his party-led provincial governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would dissolve their assemblies on 23 December to give way for new elections.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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