Veteran Pakistani actress Faryal Gohar has shared deeply painful details about her first marriage, revealing that she endured years of physical abuse, severe restrictions and injuries that she says had a lasting impact on her life.
Speaking to Nida Yasir on Good Morning Pakistan, Gohar opened up about an experience she had largely kept private, while also addressing a question many women in abusive relationships continue to face.
According to Gohar, domestic violence does not discriminate between women based on their education, financial independence or social standing. She stressed that even women who appear strong and independent from the outside can find themselves facing violence behind closed doors.
“I bore violence in my own marriage,” she said, explaining that she was not financially dependent on her husband. Yet, despite being independent, she found herself trapped in a situation that continued for years.
Gohar's account became particularly harrowing when she described the physical violence she says she suffered. She recalled being repeatedly beaten with leather belts, saying the abuse became so severe that she suffered miscarriages.
“How can one give birth to a child when you have been beaten by leather belts every now and then, which caused miscarriages?” she said.
The actress also recalled having to conceal her injuries and missing classes because of the wounds, what happened inside her home, she explained, eventually began affecting her education and everyday life.
The physical consequences did not end there. Gohar said she developed persistent kidney pain, which she attributed to being kicked and beaten from behind. The injuries eventually became serious enough to require surgery.
She recalled being in so much pain that she could not attend university in London during that period.
But according to Gohar, the abuse was not limited to physical violence. She also described a marriage in which her freedom was heavily restricted.
