Pakistan Defence Minister Faces Backlash Over Gesture to Afghan Journalist at UN
At the UN General Assembly, Pakistan Defence Minister Khwaja Asif faced criticism after a video showed him making a throat-slitting gesture while responding to an Afghan woman journalist's question about Pakistan's ties with the Taliban and their treatment of Afghan women. The gesture, interpreted as a threat, and the laughter of those nearby drew condemnation on social media. The incident occurred amid heightened tensions following Pakistan's recent aerial and drone strikes in Afghanistan, which Islamabad said targeted drone launch sites used against it.
First-hand measurement across 3 sources
We measured how 3 outlets covered this story. No outlet gave this story a measurable political slant — there is no left–right reading to report. Overall sentiment is negative (27/100). Lens Score 56/100.
Outlets measured: moneycontrol, hindustantimes, thetribune. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (28–28/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
thetribune broke this story on 27 Sept, 07:54 am. Other outlets followed.