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Sunday, March 17, 2024

How celebrities and politicians reacted to Sharmeen Obaid’s controversy

News Desk |

Yesterday, Pakistan’s social media was abuzz with condemnation tweets and Facebook posts, after the physician who tended to the sister of Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy at AKU Hospital in Karachi, was fired on her complaint of “harassing” her sister by sending a Facebook request.

Civil society was infuriated with the unjust exercise of her power. People subjected both the Chinoy sisters to extreme criticism and also many questioned her definition of “harassment”. Other termed the incident just another attempt to create a drama or perhaps stir up another controversy for her next documentary.

Many notable figures of society, including journalists, politicians, and actors from media industry expressed their solidarity with the victimized doctor.

Chinoy’s work is already considered controversial in Pakistan but this fresh fiasco has further tarnished her image.

Read more: Doctor fired after Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy complains for sending FB request…

Prominent TV Anchor, Moeed Pirzada, who often retweets Sharmeen’s tweets and her news was visibly upset by her attitude.

But if Moeed Pirzada thought that Sharmeen was overreacting, he also hinted subtly, without naming her, in another follow-up tweet that in this case, “power” lied with Oscar winner, celebrity, Sharmeen and that “harassment” like “rape” is an act of power – not sex.

Iman Mazari, the daughter of the popular politician Shireen Mazari from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, said Chinoy has made the mockery of the real and terrible harassment women face every day.

Similarly, her mother Shireen Mazari, member of National Assembly rather declared the use of undue influence as “real harassment”.

Hamza Ali Abbasi, a television actor but also a proactive member of PTI advised Sharmeen to rethink her definition of “harassment”.

Irum Azeem Farooque, who had recently joined Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (later left it) mocked the filmmaker and said sending her the FB request could be another blue whale game challenge.

Famous Television news anchor Neelam Yousafzai also expressed her disgust on the incident.

 

The filmmaker, however, has not responded to the extreme backlash she faced on social media.