Pakistani girl commits suicide due to social media blackmailing
Girl consumes poison as a boy blackmailed her over edited photos
Dubai: A Pakistani girl has committed suicide by consuming poison due to social-media blackmailing.
A letter found by the deceased’s family revealed that she was being blackmailed by a boy and his friends over edited pictures, Geo TV reported.
The group also received Rs50,000 (Dh1275) from the girl through blackmailing.
Police said that the suspects are on the run and search is underway to catch them.
The suspects had earlier sent an edited picture to the girl’s fiancé, following which her engagement was called off, according to police.
Women face frequent abuse on social media in Pakistan. According to a report by the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) in May 2017, 40 per cent women in the country face various forms of harassment on the internet.
Pakistan has experienced a surge in social media usage with more than 40 million Facebook users. The rapid growth has sparked an online debate about misogyny, with some women highlighting daily hate and pornographic messaging.