A new and rather bizarre trend has taken Pakistani social media by storm. Hundreds of thousands have posted under “Noreen Ro Rahi Hai” (Noreen is crying) since Tuesday night, most of them PTI supporters.

Thousands others have been asking what is the trend “Noreen Ro Rahi Hai”, who is Noreen and who made Noreen cry.

At least 172,000 posts used hashtag #نورین_رو_رہی_ہے on X, formerly Twitter.

People have posted videos on YouTube with one claiming in its title that Noreen had just responded to the trend.

What is the context of Noreen Ro Rahi Hai

The trend began shortly after journalist and political analyst Hasan Ayub spoke on an ARY News current affair show The Reporters.

The TV show discussion revolved around PTI intra-party election. Hasan Ayub, who is seen as a pro-PMLN journalist, said that new comers in the PTI rose to prominence while older PTI workers were pushed back. He said Barrister Gohar who joined the PTI in 2020, became the chairman while and old worker Noreen Farooq Khan was left behind.

“Noreen is now crying,” he said.

When asked who was Noreen, Ayub said, Noreen Farooq Khan.

“She is saying that she has spent all her life, from 1999 to 2024 in the PTI, but a man who joined the party in 2020 became the chairman. This is a wrong decision by Imran Khan sb. At least fair election should have been held, even if this was Imran Khan’s decision,” said Hasan Ayub.

“Now what does Noreen want,” asked the host.

“She wants the election to happen,” said Ayub.

Who is Noreen Farooq Khan

The Noreen Farooq Khan in question is a former secretary of PTI in Punjab. She reportedly left the PTI on March 12, 2023 and joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Q led by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

A video clip on social media shows Chaudhry Ghualm Sarwar making announcement that she was one of the political activists to join PMLQ from the PTI. Several PTI supporters on social media have questioned her loyalty to Imran Khan and PTI.

But Noreeen Farooq Khan says she never left the party and was still the information secretary of the labour wing of PTI.

Noreen is one of the PTI renegades who have challenged the intra-party election held earlier this month before the election commission of Pakistan. She briefly spoke to journalists outside the ECP earlier this month and said that she had filed a simple two line application before the ECP that she also wanted to participate in the election because she was in the party for so many years and had held various positions.

After the trend Noreen Ro Rahi Hai grew on social media, Noreen Farooq Khan released a video statement, saying that Hasan Ayub has presented her point of view on the TV screen and she would not condemn him.