Naqeebullah Mehsud dated Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari: Alleges Cynthia D Ritchie

by Tauqeer Abbas
2,296 views

Cynthia D Ritchie, an American communication specialist living in Pakistan, came in the crossfire for her explosive tweets against Asif Ali Zardari’s daughter and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leaders following the arrest of its chief Manzoor Pashteen.

Cynthia’s response to the tweet of Aseefa Bhutto Zardari condemning the arrest of Manzoor Pashteen set in motion the exchange of boorish tweets between her and PPP’s female leadership on Twitter.

Cynthia D. Ritchie

@CynthiaDRitchie

Correct. Peaceful protests aren’t a crime. Inciting riots in areas the security agencies have worked hard to stabilize – is.

BTW, next elections, will your party withhold water resources in Sindh unless poor voters vote PPP in office-like some reports say they’ve done in past? https://twitter.com/AseefaBZ/status/1222188515087343618 

Aseefa B Zardari

@AseefaBZ

Peaceful protests are NOT a crime !
Aseefa Bhutto Zardari tweeted that peaceful protests are not a crime, Cynthia responded that while the peaceful protest is not a crime hurling statements to incite a riot in a place where security forces have worked hard to bring peace is. She asked if PPP will hold the water supply of poor farmers in Sindh to coarse them to vote for them in the next election as a few reports claim they did so in the recent election, to question Aseefa’s apparent hypocrisy.

Another social media user jumped in the Twitter conversation and asked to probe the Pakistan People’s Party for the murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud that triggered the Pashtun mobilization movement under the banner of PTM.

Cynthia D. Ritchie

@CynthiaDRitchie

Yes, this is yet another controversy. Some reports say Mehsud was actually ‘dating’ Zardari’s daughter; subsequent fallout was conflated with misdirection and ultimately attempts to malign the state.

Shazia Atta Marri@ShaziaAttaMarri

What a cheap and petty shot! This shows your level and validates the fact that “sponsored mouth pieces” can utter any kind of crap & stoop to any level to please their sponsors!!!

It was Cynthia’s response to the social media user’s comment that brought her in the crossfire in which she said that as per another controversy, some reports say that the deceased Naqeebullah Mehsud was dating one of Zardari’s daughters. Adding that, “subsequent fallout was conflated with misdirection and ultimately attempts to malign the state.”

Her comments generated an immense backlash from PPP’s female leadership and its advocates. Shazia Atta Mari, PPP’s parliamentarian and human rights activist, Marvi Sirmed tongue-lashed Cynthia D Ritchie for maligning Bakhtawat Bhutto Zardari.

She, however, said that as per reports and perhaps being a member of a liberal democratic party, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari is free to date/see any man. Several social media users endorsed Cynthia’s comment and claimed the reports true.

Despite the backlash, Cynthia D Ritchie posted a series of tweets to clarify her previous statements. She claimed that she is severely abused by PML-N and PPP on Twitter for confronting pro-PTM rhetoric on the platform.

Cynthia reasserted that there lies much more to PTM than the exploitation of human rights by the state. Adding that this seems to be a planned strategy to build anti-state rhetoric by major political parties to tout PTI and people like her as ‘military mouthpieces’

She claimed that her previous tweet was not meant to hurt Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari but wanted investigative journalists to examine the issue of PTM from another outlook except for human rights abuse only.

She sought the advice of her Twitter followers on whether should she apologize to Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari in person. She added that she is not an advocate of any single party in Pakistan.

Cynthia D. Ritchie

@CynthiaDRitchie

1/2 Some clarification is needed regarding this tweet:

✴️ whether a young man and woman were friends, dating or whatever is no one’s business but the families involved.

✴️my point with this tweet is there is much more to PTM than claims of missing persons, HR abuses and that https://twitter.com/CynthiaDRitchie/status/1222468475190489088 

Cynthia D. Ritchie

@CynthiaDRitchie

1/5 Since some members of PPP are attacking what I said were ‘reports’ about connections of Naqeebullah Mehsud (killed by Anwar) & Zardardi’s daughter, investigative journos should also look into the PTM connection & reports of Gulali Isamail running girls for men & providing https://twitter.com/ShaziaAttaMarri/status/1222450486655188992 

Cynthia D. Ritchie

@CynthiaDRitchie

2/2

✴️investigative journos should deep dive into PTM. Esp since they’re using Naqeebullah Mehsud’s death for their agenda; & what various informed sources know of Gulali Ismail.

✴️If I caused @BakhtawarBZ any pain, then I sincerely apologize, as this was never my intent. 🙏

See Cynthia D. Ritchie’s other Tweets

But Cynthia maintained her tough stance against PPP and PTM and continued stirred another controversy when she accused Gulalai Ismail, the exiled PTM leader of ‘running girls for men’ and providing abortion services.

She said that the amount of extensive ‘venomous’ backlash on her tweets vindicate how they mistreat people.

Cynthia reasserted that there lies much more to PTM than the exploitation of human rights by the state. Adding that this seems to be a planned strategy to build anti-state rhetoric by major political parties to tout PTI and people like her as ‘military mouthpieces’.

She slammed the accusations of being Pakistan’s military pawn and said that she is only pro-Pakistan.

Cynthia again countered harsh criticism for accusing Gulalai Ismail but she is adamant about her claims against Gulalai Ismail that as according to her she has benefitted from being under investigation on her background in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Cynthia D. Ritchie

@CynthiaDRitchie

Instead of hiding behind your keyboard, try a bit of investigative journalism. Research her travels to Afghanistan & how she left 🇵🇰

Only thing worse than an abuser of vulnerable populations, are fake advocates abusing the system for cash in order to destabilize their country. https://twitter.com/sabizak/status/1223025501595291648 

Sabahat Zakariya

@sabizak

This person thinks ‘running girls for men’ (whatever that means, and providing abortion services in places where girls can get murdered in the name of honour, are the same thing. Deliberately conflating the two to play upon whatever she perceives to be the ‘Pakistani mindset’. https://twitter.com/CynthiaDRitchie/status/1222468477707079680 

40 people are talking about this

Cynthia D. Ritchie

@CynthiaDRitchie

Michael, we’ve been friends for a long time, so I’m disappointed in your rather one-sided approach. @fispahani – in an unprofessional manner – attacked me.

The usual gang dog piles when I counter their anti-Pakistan narrative.

Let them prove me wrong.

Come to 🇵🇰. I’m waiting https://twitter.com/MichaelKugelman/status/1222945329307439104 

Michael Kugelman

@MichaelKugelman

Cynthia, @fispahani is a deeply valued-and very brave-colleague and friend of mine. She’s had a successful career as a journalist and political figure, and she is now a highly respected analyst.
What you’re saying about her here, and about others too, is a really bad look, IMHO. https://twitter.com/CynthiaDRitchie/status/1222939047674380289 

216 people are talking about this

Cynthia D. Ritchie

@CynthiaDRitchie

How awesome you are! A shared theme with PPP & PTM attempting to attempt to hurl insults.

You’re just reinforcing what the vast majority of the rest of us suspected.

Oh, PS: if you’re trying to squeeze your way back into power, this is NOT the way to do it.

Hugs & Kisses.😚 https://twitter.com/pseudorebel/status/1222942344116424715 

Assad Zulfiqar Khan

@pseudorebel

Fittingly Cynthia pops her collar like a stereotypical douche https://twitter.com/cynthiadritchie/status/1222903542454730752 

44 people are talking about this

Meanwhile, Cynthia D Ritchie was derided when she posted her image in a Peshawar Zalmi jersey expressing her support for the PSL franchise.

Cynthia D. Ritchie

@CynthiaDRitchie

You ‘journos’ are doing a great job reporting ‘breaking news’. I’m sure you’ll find more newsworthy items to report soon, unless your main source of maligning 🇵🇰 is ending; otherwise I suggest expanding your portfolio-your time is up. are showing🇵🇰 for what is really is. https://twitter.com/titojourno/status/1222925626421710848 

Talat Aslam@titojourno

This is what Asif Ghafoor looks like after the teeka https://twitter.com/cynthiadritchie/status/1222903542454730752 

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