A young reporter whose unorthodox reports have gone viral on social media has addressed the confusion surrounding the name of her channel which is shown on her mic as ‘BBC Urdu News Punjab TV’, hours after the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) issued a statement warning audiences to beware of impostors.

 

In a video statement posted on the internet in the wee hours of Saturday, Mehrunnisa held the same mic, saying her channel's name is an abbreviation for Bhai Bhai Channel. 

 

“As you can see, BBC UK walay has uploaded a post on X. Their channel’s abbreviation is British Broadcasting Corporation, while ours stands for Bhai Bhai Channel. You can directly talk to us via email. We are not copying you,” she addressed the allegations.

 

In its statement, originally in Urdu, BBC wrote, “It has come to our attention that a digital media company called BBC Urdu News Punjab TV is operating in Pakistan using the BBC’s name.”

 

The BBC stated that it has no connection with BBC Urdu Punjab TV or its reporter Mehrunnisa, adding that the organisation has not been authorised to use the BBC’s name in this manner. 

 

“We request BBC audiences to verify the presence of any content published under the BBC’s name on the BBC’s official platforms before trusting it.”

 

After her report on the visit of the Iranian President to Lahore went viral, Mehrunnisa once again became the rage on social media for her coverage of Lahore’s flood-affected suburb Shahdara, where she boarded a boat wearing a rescue jacket alongside rescue officials.

 

“As you can see, the water pressure is rising; we are so scared, the boat is shifting to one side then to another, we can’t balance,” the reporter was heard saying. She signed off with a plea that was nothing short of iconic, “Please just pray for us guys.”