LAHORE: (Wednesday, July 08, 2026): Punjab University has awarded a PhD degree in Communication Studies to Hafsa Javed. The title of her doctoral dissertation is “News Verification and Sharing Behavior of Social Media Users in Pakistan.” She completed her research under the supervision of Prof Dr. Bushra Hameed Rahman. Dr. Hafsa Javed Khawaja's public PhD defense was held at the Punjab University School of Communication Studies. The event was attended by Prof Dr. Abida Ashraf, Prof Dr. Savera Shami, Dr. Ayesha Ashfaq and Dr. Madiha Maqsood, along with a large number of media professors, communication experts, PhD scholars, and media professionals. The panel of external examiners comprised Prof Dr. Zahid Yousaf and Dr. Zaeem Yasin, who described the study as highly significant in the contemporary digital age due to its focus on social media behavior and news verification. According to Dr. Hafsa's research, Pakistani social media users face considerable challenges in verifying news before sharing it. The most prominent challenges include politically motivated misinformation and the lack of access to credible sources. Her research further established that various psychological factors influence users' news verification behavior. Dr. Hafsa Javed is currently serving as Deputy Director at the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR), Government of the Punjab. Following the successful completion of her public PhD defense, faculty members and participants celebrated the occasion by cutting a cake.