Qarshi Jam-e-Shirin says it had nothing to do with YouTuber's interview of Dua Zehra and Zaheer Ahmed

Qarshi Jam-e-Shirin has distanced itself from a video interview of Dua Zehra, who went missing from her home in Karachi and later surfaced in Punjab, and her husband Zaheer Ahmed that has been causing concern online. A bottle of the syrup was prominently displayed on the table in the video, leading netizens to speculate that the video had been sponsored by the brand.

The interview was conducted by Zunaira Mahum, a content creator, who interviewed the teenager who was reported missing from Karachi's Shah Faisal Colony on April 16. The video was posted on June 13.

Many netizens assumed the brand had sponsored the interview as the host asked questions about Dua and Zaheer's favourite drinks and tilted her head towards the bottle on the table. Several called for a boycott of the brand.

On Thursday, Jam-e-Shirin distanced itself from the interview on its social media pages, saying that it was not informed about the use of the drink before the video was uploaded online. The brand said "appropriate action will be taken in this regard".

In the statement posted on Instagram stories, the brand wrote that it conducts its media communications with "dignity, upholding high moral standards" and was "surprised" at the prominent visibility of its brand during the interview.

It promised an investigation into the issue and reassured consumers that it had nothing to do with the interview. The post also claimed that the production team did not take permission prior to displaying and mentioning Jam-e-Shirin in the interview.