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A campaign to boycott Gul Ahmed Textiles Limited is gaining steam following a tragic accident on Karachi’s Karsaz Road on August 19, where a man and his daughter lost their lives. However, many more are criticizing the call for this boycott.
Natasha Iqbal, the wife of prominent Karachi industrialist Danish Iqbal, struck and killed the victims with her speeding SUV after colliding with bikers and pedestrians.
Natasha Iqbal, wife of Danish Iqbal, the CEO of Metro Power Company Ltd. and a member of the Gul Ahmed family, has been taken into custody by the police.
The Karachi City Court has placed her under physical remand. Initially, the defense lawyer claimed that Natasha was suffering from mental health issues and had been admitted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) following a head injury.
However, hospital records indicate that she was discharged as fit after medical evaluations, with doctors stating that she required no immediate psychiatric intervention.
This incident has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with many accusing the family of using their influence to evade justice.
A boycott campaign against Gul Ahmed products was initiated by a Reddit user, highlighting the connection between Natasha and Gul Ahmed Textiles Limited. Internet users have rallied for justice for the victims and are calling for a boycott of the company’s products due to its alleged association with the accused.
In addition, there has been significant backlash against Pakistani media, particularly The Express Tribune and ARY News, for removing their coverage of the accident after it was revealed that Natasha Iqbal is connected to the elite class. Many reports were deleted once her identity and connections became public.
Lawyer and political activist Jibran Nasir criticized these media outlets, questioning why they removed the news about Natasha Danish and the Karsaz accident.
He took to X (formerly Twitter) to demand answers from the outlets: “Can @etribune and @ARYNEWSOFFICIAL explain why they have removed the Articles/News Items from their websites about Natasha Danish and the Karsaz Accident?
The original news articles show up in Google search, but the source content has been removed from the websites.” Nasir also condemned the platforms for allegedly being influenced by money, stating, “Can money buy you complete immunity in Pakistan? You can run over and kill people in broad daylight, and the media will make sure everyone forgets about it. Forget about justice and conviction; here you are protected from even getting condemned.”
However, many netzines are condemning the call for a boycott deeming it unfavourable for Pakistan’s economy. Gul Ahmed being one of Pakistan’s largest textile exporters provides jobs to thousands of citizens. A boycott would detrimentally impact their company and hence thousands of others without gaining anything. It would not serve as any means of justice.
