Singer Meesha Shafi came forward earlier today accusing Ali Zafar of sexual harassment on multiple occasions.
The #MeToo and #Timesup campaigns have gone global since allegations of sexual misconduct by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein were published last October, sparking an avalanche of accusations against other powerful men.
However, the movement has been slow to catch on in Pakistan, where women have fought for their rights for years in a patriarchal society where so-called “honor” killings and attacks on women remain commonplace.
in a report released earlier this week by watchdog Human Rights Commission Pakistan, the group said violence against women remained troubling, with 5,660 related crimes reported in the country’s four provinces in the first 10 months of 2017.
In August, firebrand opposition leader Imran Khan was also hit with allegations of sexual misconduct by a female lawmaker who accused the famed cricketer of sending obscene text messages and promoting a culture of sexism within his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. He later denied the allegations
Fahad Rehman, who has claimed to be acquainted with the two celebrities before they became public figures, accused Meesha of blackmailing him during their professional acquaintanceship.
“Now I don’t know what happened between Ali and her, but what I do know is that she has the capability to blackmail and malign one’s reputation. Without hard evidence, I would take everything she says with a ton of salt,” he said.
