Dr Shama Junejo, who is currently part of the official delegation representing Pakistan in the United Nations (UN), has issued a clarification after being slammed by social media users, politicians and journalists for allegedly being pro-Israel and for expressing admiration for the Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu, who is committing genocide in Gaza.

 

She was castigated after she was spotted seated right behind Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, a strong proponent of a Palestinian state, who was addressing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) earlier in the week.

 

“The woman accepting Israel, proudly met with the Israeli ambassador, is now included in Pakistan's delegation, a unique honor. She probably also said that meeting the Israeli Prime Minister would be an honor,” a user wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

 

Former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry took to X to write that sitting behind the defence minister, “there is also a woman who has been running a campaign to recognise Israel. Khawaja Asif constantly speaks against Israel, but he also wants to stay close to the Israeli lobby.”

 

 

Many users questioned the Government of Pakistan (GOP) for taking the “pro-Israel” Shama to the UNSC in New York.

 

One user said, “This woman says that she has been working on recognising Israel for a long time. When she is appointed as the Prime Minister's advisor on foreign affairs, the question will be whether the PML-N govt has decided to recognize Israel? She was given the task of writing a speech to the United Nations. She was taken on Air Force One as part of the official delegation to represent Pakistan in the General Assembly. The Foreign Ministry recognised her in support of Israel. Now, how will the Pakistani government be separated from all this? It is clear that the Pakistani government is going to recognize Israel, that is why a pro-Israel woman like Shamma Junejo is being given so much importance.”

 

“You cannot sit behind a minister in UNSC or UNGA unless [you] are identified as an official rep of GoP. So who allowed this to happen & why? Is there a covert policy agenda at work viz rogue entity Israel, Bagram base, Abraham Accords? GoP needs to come clean - who is responsible?” asked former minister Shireen Mazari.

 

 

Lawyer Benazir Jatoi, while highlighting the paradox of the government's position on Israel, said, “Either @GovtofPakistan you stand with Palestine or you don’t. If you do, then why the hell did an intellectually low-level, Israel-apologist journalist @ShamaJunejo accompany you to the UNGA? Israel is committing a genocide as we type and you chose Shama at a time like this?!”

 

 

“Absolutely crazy! Under what rules was she inducted into Govt? Was there a notification? @ForeignOfficePk should publish list of people accompanying @CMShehbaz Sitting behind @KhawajaMAsif problematic. Officials related to [the] Ministry sit behind [the] Minister. Who made her delete Tweet?” asked veteran journalist Mariana Baber.

 

 

Author Ayesha Siddiqa opined, “[The] Problem is that Shama Junejo, despite being a total fake was one of the people regularly sitting with Nawaz and Shahbaz in London. She was probably rewarded firstly with a national award last year and now this trip. Of course, @CMShehbaz.”

 

 

The criticism compelled Shama to share four screenshots (SS) of her tweets, one from July this year and the rest from September 2025, all condemning Israel. While calling out her critics, Shama said in the caption that she is being called, a “Zionist”; nonetheless, she had called Netanyahu a “war criminal” in her tweets.

 

She stated that once again, a complete campaign was run against her because the trolls fear that she will expose the “fascist” in the United States (US) as she did in Britain.

 

The tweet did little to ally anger as all the tweets she put up in the screenshots were recent while the genocide in Gaza has been going on since almost two years.