The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has initiated an inquiry against renowned fashion designer Maria B following a complaint that her recent social media posts amounted to hate speech targeting the transgender community.
The complaint was filed by Naeem Butt, also known as Seema Butt, who alleged that Maria B’s remarks caused emotional harm by spreading anti-trans rhetoric. The designer has been summoned to appear before the NCCIA on August 26, with officials warning that failure to comply will be treated as forfeiture of her right to a defense.
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The case stems from a video Maria B shared online, in which she condemned a private transgender gathering in Lahore as “un-Islamic” and urged authorities to intervene. Earlier, Lahore police had arrested several transgender individuals at the gathering under obscenity charges.
However, a magistrate later dismissed the case, citing a lack of evidence, the absence of eyewitnesses, and irregularities in police procedure, concluding that the allegations appeared to be fabricated.
Trans activist Nayyab Ali responded by clarifying that those attending the gathering were not associated with the organized trans rights movement while questioning Maria B’s decision to amplify the video. Rights advocates have also warned that Pakistan’s vague morality laws are often weaponized against marginalized communities.
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This is not the only controversy surrounding the designer. In a separate dispute, Turkish influencer and model Türkan Atay has served Maria B with a legal notice demanding $8,000 in unpaid dues from a campaign shoot held earlier this year in Türkiye, along with additional claims for emotional distress and legal fees.
Maria B has faced public backlash before. In February, she described Pakistan’s National Women’s Day march as the “Qaum-e-Lout March,” dismissing it as a failed movement driven by external funding and hidden motives.
