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ISLAMABAD: The unexplained presence of a social media commentator seated behind Defence Minister Khawaja Asif at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting this week has left Foreign Office without satisfactory explanation, exposing procedural lapses and raising pointed questions about oversight at the highest level.
Photographs from a UNSC session in New York showed Dr Shama Junejo, a London-based social media activist, seated in the delegation area directly behind Asif as he addressed the council on artificial intelligence and global security.
Her presence immediately triggered an uproar on social media, where critics cited her past advocacy for Pakistan to recognise Israel, a position sharply at odds with the country’s longstanding pro-Palestinian stance.
FO distances itself
Late Friday, Foreign Office issued a clarification acknowledging that Ms Junejo had not been part of Pakistan’s accredited delegation.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has noted queries regarding the seating of a certain individual behind the Defence Minister at a recent meeting of the UNSC,” the statement said.
“To clarify, 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.”
“As such, her seating behind the Defence Minister did not have the approval of the Deputy Prime Minister/ Foreign Minister.”
Official sources confirmed that while the FO did not issue the required letter of credence, Ms Junejo joined Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s entourage from Britain, where she had been staying at the same hotel.
On arrival in New York, Pakistan’s mission to the UN was directed by “a senior political leader” to issue a note verbale for facilitating her accreditation so that she could attend meetings, including the UNSC debate.
The leader’s argument was that though she wasn’t part of the official delegation notified by FO for the session, she was part of the entourage. Therefore, the mission was asked to get her accredited.
A source categorically said that FO did not even have prior knowledge about Junejo’s inclusion in the entourage.
Minister passes the buck
The controversy had intensified after Khawaja Asif, facing a barrage of criticism, publicly distanced himself from Junejo’s appearance and pointed the finger at the FO.
In a post on X, the defence minister said the decision was not his. “It was at the discretion and authority of the Foreign Office who, this woman or anyone else, sat behind me,” he wrote.
“Who is this woman, why was she with our delegation, and why was she seated behind me — the Foreign Office is the one that can answer these questions. It is not appropriate for me to respond on their behalf.”
Mr Asif underscored his decades-long commitment to the Palestinian cause.
“My views on Gaza are clear, and I express them openly,” he said. “My views on Israel and Zionism are nothing but hatred.”
He added that his support was not new. “The history of my Twitter account bears witness to the fact that my relationship with Palestine is a part of my faith.”
The tweet left FO deeply embarrassed.
Online uproar
Images of Ms Junejo at the UNSC quickly went viral. Critics from across the political spectrum accused the government of hypocrisy and negligence.
Participating in the discussion, people questioned how a figure known for “pro-Israel and pro-normalisation views” was allowed into a Pakistani delegation’s space. Other commentators described the episode as a “grave breach of protocol” and “embarrassing for Pakistan’s pro-Palestine position.”
Ms Junejo claimed she was part of the prime minister’s speech writing team since April.
In her tweets from London, she had also said she was in possession of the ‘secret files’ raising questions about the security of such documents.
Larger questions
The incident has highlighted weaknesses in delegation management and security vetting. While the FO and the defence minister have both denied responsibility, neither has explained how Ms Junejo was permitted access to one of the most secure forums at the UN.
For now, officials have offered no indication that an inquiry will be launched into who authorised Junejo’s accreditation or how she came to sit in the delegation’s restricted area. But the episode has already caused a major embarrassment to the government.
Interestingly at the time issuance of FO’s statement late Friday night, she was in UNGA hall with the delegation.
Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2025
