Clothing brand Bonanza Satrangi has issued a statement addressing screenshots circulating on social media showing Maryam Hanif Balwani's controversial remarks about Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. 

 

In a statement released on March 3, the brand said a woman had been falsely presenting herself as the CEO. “We are writing to address several screenshots which are currently circulating on social media. It has come to our attention that a female has been falsely claiming and impersonating to be the CEO of Bonanza Satrangi,” the company said.

 

The brand stated that the individual had no link with the organisation. “This imposter is not our CEO, a member of our Board of Directors, or part of the company. They have no legal, professional, or contractual association with our organization in any capacity,” the statement said.

 

The company also said it had distanced itself from remarks attributed to the account and that the matter had been reported to authorities.

 

The clarification came after comments attributed online to a woman identified as Maryam Hanif Balwani circulated widely and drew criticism. In one of the posts being shared online, the statement read: “What do we mean by the Prime Minister of Iran? By the way, he/Shia was an enemy of Islam.”

 

The remarks prompted responses from social media users, some of whom criticised the comments and linked them to the brand.

 

One user wrote, “As CEO of Bonanza Satrangi, Maryam Hanif Balwani’s public remarks labeling Ali Khamenei an ‘enemy of Islam’ were irresponsible and divisive. Business leaders should promote unity, not sectarian tension.” Another post said, “This is being cited as an example of how some brands allegedly promote an international Yahoodi agenda.”

 

Other reactions also called for a boycott of the brand. One post read, “How could you say word enemy for the most respectable person in the world millions of people love Ayatullah Khamenei who are you to judge anyone ?? Boycott her brand.”

 

Following the backlash, Balwani posted a message saying her comments were being misinterpreted. “Some people are trying to harm my business by misinterpreting my words. I never called Khamenei a Jew. His statements have been against Sunnis, that is why we said that,” she wrote.

 

She added, “Our family has made a lot of sacrifices to build this business. Please do not name our business. We apologize to every citizen of Pakistan. We sincerely apologize”

 

The apology also drew criticism online, with several users saying it did not address the concerns raised by her earlier remarks. One user wrote, “This is not the way to apologise. You cannot hurt the sentiments of people and simply say sorry.” Another added, “We will still boycott your brand.”

 

The brand’s statement also prompted reactions online. One user wrote, “Maryam Hanif Balwani is the daughter of Bonanza’s ex CEO why is this brand lying.”

 

Another said, “Another shameful act is that they are lying and disowning her.” A third post read, “For first time in history a company disowned its own owner.”