Cat filter mistakenly left on during politician's live-streamed press conference

Shaukat Yousafzai, a regional minister in northwest Pakistan, was holding a briefing that was live streamed on Facebook when disaster struck

Pakistani children point at a computer screen showing a screen grab of a press conference attended by provincial minister Shaukat Yousafzai and streamed live on social media, in Islamabad. AFP

A Pakistani politician suffered a comical gaffe during a live-streamed press conference.

Shaukat Yousafzai, a regional minister in the northwest of the country, was holding a briefing being shown on Facebook when disaster struck – a cat filter had been mistakenly left on.

As he spoke, the footage was broadcast on his Tehreek-e-Insaf party’s Facebook page and those watching from home couldn’t help but notice the pink ears and black whiskers that suddenly appeared on his face.

The video was deleted minutes after the press conference but because the internet exists forever and no one who saw it could let this one go, there have been plenty of screenshots making their way onto social media. The mistake was blamed on “human error” by the party.

"Yesterday, while covering a press briefing held by KP's Information Minister Shoukat Yousf Zai, a 'cat filter' was witnessed by the viewers which was removed within a few minutes," the party admitted in a "clarification" issued on Twitter.

"I wasn't the only one - two officials sitting alongside me were also hit by the cat filter," Yousafzai said to the AFP news agency.

At the very least, at least his briefing got some attention.