Earlier this week, a woman was gang-raped in front of her two children by unidentified men on the Lahore motorway. While she was waiting on the footpath with her kids and had already informed her relatives in Gujranwala that her vehicle had run out of fuel, the armed robbers caught her on gunpoint, eventually taking her to a jungle and sexually abusing her. When her family members reached the site, they saw her clothes were stained in blood. They were eventually informed by the police that she had been raped. From Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to human-rights activists and artists, the heinous incident was condemned by all.
Taking to Instagram, Mahira Khan has shared a quote of prominent writer Saadat Hasan Manto to describe the current status of women in society. On multiple occasions, the Raees star has been very vocal about the derogatory way in which women are treated in the country. And this time was no different! The excerpt she shared from the popular writings of Manto read, “Hamare Han Izzat Ki Haqdar Sirf Ghar Ki Autron Ko Samjah Jata Hai, Baqi Aurtein Hamare Liye Gosht Ki Dukanne Hain Jin k Bahir hum Koutto ki Tarah Zuban Latkae Kharre Nazr Aate Hain”.
http://thebrownidentity.com/2020/09/11/lahore-motorway-incident-sajal-aly-pens-a-befitting-reply-to-ignorant-instagram-user/
But of course, all celebrities face backlash for no reason even if what they are saying is right. While many supported Mahira’s post and lauded her for speaking up about the evils that are prevalent in our society, others made below-the-belt remarks too. “Heartbreaking: Zainab’s rapist was publicly hanged two years ago. Kuch Nahi Badla! (Nothing changed!),” wrote Fareshteh Aslam. But there was one user whose comment was really triggering for the Verna star and us too! One such user blamed it on renowned stars such as Mahira for the reason why women are taken advantage of in our culture. The comment read, “Yeh wohi culture hai jo Pakistan ko ap jesay ghatiya stars nai dea hai.” Not one to hold back, Mahira instantly clapped back at the troll by sarcastically replying, “Jee bilkul. Humari wajah se hee toh rape hotay hain. Mard majboor hai. (Yes totally! Rape happens because of people like us. Men are helpless.” Well done Mahira! Way to go.