Since Meesha Shafi’s stunning and powerful revelation against icon Ali Zafar came to the fore, more women have spoken out about the harassment they faced at the hands of the singer.
In a Twitter post on Thursday, singer Meesha Shafi revealed how Ali had harassed her, and how the experience had been highly traumatic for her.
In response to Meesha’s post, make-up artist Leena Ghani took to Twitter and highlighted how Ali Zafar had “crossed boundaries of what is appropriate behaviour between friends” and said that “his behaviour displays a clear lack of respect for women.”
Her statement reads out as follows: “In the many years I have known Ali, he has on several occasions crossed boundaries of what is appropriate behaviour between friends.”
His behaviour displays a clear lack of respect for women. Inappropriate contact, groping, sexual comments should not fall in the grey area between humour and indecency. Comments that would make your skin crawl and make you feel objectified are not to be reduced to ‘a joke’ such behaviours can leave women feeling embarrassed, small and reduced to the level of entertainment at the hands of a woman. In such cases, women like myself run from a situation and hope to God you never cross paths again. And when by some misfortune you do, you hide from him. Hoping that his sleazy eyes and hands don’t find you again. His hands don’t make their way up and down your waist or hold you too tight while you desperately try to wiggle and run.
Today I speak out because of recent events between Meesha and Ali, and today, I have to find the courage to say she isn’t and has not been alone.”
Thank you @itsmeeshashafi for your courage and your bravery. It’s never easy. But that should never silence us. I am in total solidarity with you. You are not alone in this because #Metoo #TimesUp #WeBelieveYou pic.twitter.com/hkQ61bqnFH
— Leena (@Leena_Ghani) April 19, 2018
Journalist Maham Javaid also recounted an incident where Ali Zafar had tried to force himself on her cousin and pull her “into a restroom with him.”
“This was on a boat on the way to a party at the Yacht Club between 2004-2005. Why don’t I remember the date? Because this is what’s crazy: in those days such sexual harassment was such a non-issue and simultaneously such a taboo that we hardly spoke about it,” she added.
Maham also thanked Meesha Shafi for “reminding us that our stories matter.”
So @itsmeeshashafi‘s brave sharing of her experience reminded me of a story about @AliZafarsays from many many years ago, when Ali Zafar tried to kiss my cousin and pull my cousin into a restroom with him. Luckily my cousin’s friends were there to push Ali Zafar off https://t.co/kBQbBiwyFP
— Maham Javaid (@JMaham) April 19, 2018
Blogger Humna Raza also added her voice to the clamour against Ali Zafar, by retelling an incident where Ali Zafar had inappropriately touched her at a public event, and how she had struggled to come to terms with the whole incident.
@itsmeeshashafi you’re not alone. Please read this. #metoo @merabichrayaar @HaadeaP pic.twitter.com/3KzIenHnQn
— Humna Raza (@HumnaRaza) April 19, 2018
Ali Zafar released a tweet in response to Meesha’s accusations and claimed that he too is a proponent of the #MeToo movement, categorically denying Shafi’s claims of harassment against him.
He tweeted: “I intend to take this through the courts of law and to address this professionally and seriously rather than to lodge any allegations here.”
Although Pakistan’s entertainment industry has largely remained mum on the issue, Osman Khalid Butt and Urwa Hocane have come out in support of Shafi and tweeted in support of her claims.
A woman breaks her silence about abuse, withstands character assassination & further abuse on social media, her story turns into memes & tone-deaf jokes that trivialize the issue, she fears ostracization – but suuuuure, she did it for the cheap publicity. https://t.co/eDeOpXYUox
— Osman Khalid Butt (@aClockworkObi) April 19, 2018
More power to you ! @itsmeeshashafi 👊🏻 https://t.co/aN8m8zNQq6
— URWA HOCANE (@VJURWA) April 19, 2018
On the other hand, actress Maya Ali has came out in defence of Ali Zafar and said that until the truth comes out, “we shouldn’t judge anyone’s character.”