YouTuber Iqra Kanwal has said that she will take legal action against anyone who targets her or her family with abuse, false allegations or defamatory content.
She announced the decision in an Instagram story, saying that she has endured six years of targeted harassment.
Kanwal, known for the Sistrology channel, said that she stayed silent for six years and let people have their opinions. “I have never felt the need to respond to every allegation, every roast or every negative narrative built around me,” she wrote while accusing some people of turning the silence into an opportunity to build their own careers by targeting her.
She drew a line between criticism and abuse. “Disagreeing with me, criticising my work or having a different opinion is everyone’s right,” she wrote. She said harassing her family and abusing people close to her is “personal harassment.”
Kanwal vowed to stop arguing on social media, stressing that she will document all evidence and pursue it through legal channels. “You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to harass, threaten or defame me or my family. Respect has its limits, and so does silence.” She did not name anyone in her statement.
The warning follows online criticism after the Pakistan Influencer Awards. Kanwal was a nominee for Best YouTuber, however, the award went to DHA Wali Maid, a creator who rose to fame with videos about her daily routine and household work.
After the ceremony, Kanwal said in a vlog that she built a family of seven million followers on YouTube and that creating content and growing an audience at that scale is not easy.
Some social media users then criticised her remarks and accused her of struggling to accept DHA Wali Maid’s win.
In a later vlog, Kanwal said the awards management admitted mistakes and promised improvements next year. The organisers have not publicly confirmed her account.
She also congratulated DHA Wali Maid in a comment on Instagram.
