Pakistan’s Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, is facing significant online criticism following a viral video clip from a recent press briefing. The footage appears to capture the military spokesperson winking at a female journalist as he responded to a pointed question regarding jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The journalist had questioned the army’s current stance on Khan, particularly concerning accusations of him being a ‘national security risk,’ and whether this represented a departure from previous years.
During his answer, Chaudhry added a controversial remark in Urdu, stating, “Add a fourth point — that he is also mentally ill.” It was immediately after this statement that viewers interpreted his facial expression as a wink directed at the journalist, igniting a firestorm of disapproval. The incident, which took place during a briefing on sensitive political matters, has been labeled by many online as ‘unprofessional’ and ‘demeaning,’ with accusations of mockery directed at both the journalist and the former Prime Minister. Parody accounts have even begun trending with the name “Ahmed (Not) Sharif Chaudhry.” This alleged gesture has been widely described as symbolizing a ‘funeral of professionalism’ within the military’s media operations. While an official clarification from Pakistan’s military is pending, the lack of immediate response has only fueled further speculation in the country’s highly polarized political climate. The incident is particularly noteworthy given the carefully controlled nature of ISPR briefings, where body language is typically deliberate and rarely left to chance, amplifying the impact of this seemingly spontaneous gesture.