The Role of Social Media and Outrage Economies
The Muniba Mazari controversy did not unfold in courtrooms—it unfolded on X (Twitter), WhatsApp groups, Facebook pages, and YouTube commentary channels.
Screenshots, partial quotes, and emotional language circulated rapidly, often stripped of:
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timestamps,
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original context,
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legal nuance.
In this environment:
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defenders framed criticism as misogyny or silencing of survivors,
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critics framed her supporters as exploiting law to criminalize religious norms,
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neutral legal analysis was drowned out by viral rhetoric.
This is not unique to Muniba Mazari. It reflects a structural problem in Pakistan’s digital public sphere.
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