Celebrities

Iffat Omar: “It’s a man’s world”—slams Meesha Shafi verdict

Actress Iffat Omar, who has shown support for Messha Shafi during her trial against singer Ali Zafar, expressed disappointment over the final verdict delivered yesterday by a Lahore sessions court. The verdict, ruling in Zafar’s favour, ordered Shafi to pay him Rs5 million.

In a post on X, Omar wrote that the loss is not hers. Shafi’s, or her mother Saba Hameed’s, saying they could pay the Rs5 million in damages “right now.” “It’s about the fact that women will continue to be touched inappropriately, even when married, even by men who are “friends” of their husbands. We all know this is the reality of a man’s world.”

Writing that she was not only a primary character witness, Omar added “I knew both families and both children very closely. If I took a side, it was with 100% certainty and belief.”

The actress added that Shafi’s case “ended the day every girl who supported her — including me — was dragged into criminal cases,” adding that she had been told she could face three years in prison. She went on, “And if that happens, I will go and serve those three years, because I do not step back from my truth — and anyone who knows me, knows this”.

Further, Omar shared that people who were involved were “silenced, pressured, bought, and scared” and that the entire support system had been broken. “On top of that, we were accused of running a foreign agenda, of being paid huge amounts in dollars,” she wrote, adding that she would reiterate, and even prove in court, that she is “ready to open all my bank accounts, everything.”

In her post, Omar noted that the verdict not only impacts Shafi but also other women whose experiences of harassment go unrecognised due to a lack of evidence, leaving them vulnerable to public ridicule. “The truth is, every woman knows that at some point in her life, she has been physically harassed. Sometimes in a room full of people, someone touches you in a way you cannot even process, and you cannot even speak. We have all gone through this — as children, as young women, and even today,” she wrote.

She also questioned, “So when a star of this magnitude, who needed no fame, who comes from a respected family, speaks up — is it for fame? “

The actress further stated that Shafi and her circle “did not step back because we knew that if we lost this case, then every woman who suffers this every day would lose with us. And from that day on, no woman in this country would ever be believed.”

“The entire Lahore, the entire industry knows the truth,” Omar stated.

Concluding her post, Omar said, “From today onwards, even I will not believe a woman in Pakistan — because surely, the man must be right. And my honorable courts, thank you for proving this,” ending with “It’s a man’s world. Goodbye.”

Omar’s post received both positive and negative reactions, with some justifying her point by agreeing that the justice system in Pakistan is flawed and others saying she should accept the verdict.

Some users even suggested that Omar is playing the aurat card, which they argue allows many girls to take advantage of situations like Shafi’s to ruin someone’s life and career. However, Omar maintained her stance, replying to the comments in her post.

Yesterday’s verdict has once again ignited a debate across Pakistan, regarding the complexities of proving harassment in court and the role of public opinion attached to the risks of speaking out against such injustices.

As reactions continue to surface, the verdict highlights a deeply divided public opinion and draws questions of justice, accountability, and gender dynamics in Pakistan.

The legal battle between Shafi and Zafar dates back to 2018, when the former accused Zafar of sexual harassment, leading him to file a defamaton suit claiming reputational harm and distress to his family.

Up Next

Celebrities react as court rules in Ali Zafar’s favor in defamation case

Don't Miss

Emmad Irfani on People Comparing Him to Imran Khan

Deedar

Celebrities

Bushra Ansari Criticized For Revealing Personal Details About Father

Bushra Ansari is a legendary actress of Pakistan. She started her career as a child artist and she has reigned for 4 decades over the industry. Her family is also a huge part of arts and culture with her father being a renowned journalist while her sisters are also writers and actresses.

Bushra Ansari’s father Ahmed Bashir is a legendary journalist. He was honest and principled and never made compromises. But there was a dark part of his personal life which Bushra revealed on Good Morning Pakistan.

The actress shared that her father made a movie which flopped. He had put in his own money as well as his parents money in it. After the film flopped, the relationship between Bushra’s father and her grandparents deteriorated. She revealed that her father did not even know where was the grave of his mother. After 30 years, she saw her grandma in a dream and told her father. He then went to search for the grave and cried a lot. He later found out that he was crying at the wrong grave. She revealed her father was not a good son.

The internet is reacting to Bushra Ansari revealing her father’s story. One person wrote, “Bushra should know to not reveal her parents’ secrets.” Another added, “Maybe your grandparents were in the wrong for prioritizing money over their son.” One said, “These actors share such weird stories.”

Celebrities

Tipu Sharif Exposes Reality Of Pakistan’s Big Channels

Tipu Sharif is an actor who is known for his very natural performances. He always does great work and he is often speaking about animal rights. He is currently starring in two big hits aka Bas Tera Saath Ho and Tapish. The actor is very candid and says what is on his mind. He was a guest on FHM podcast and exposed the biggest three channels of Pakistan.

Tipu Sharif revealed how big channels exploit actors. They will never offer you great roles and if they ever offer you a big character, they will quote a smaller fee. They know that the actor will be stuck and they will work in the drama for lesser money if the role is good. He was exploited this way by ARY Digital who paid him very small amount of money for the drama Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi as they knew the role was good.

Tipu then revealed that he was shocked when he was offered such a big role in Tapish. For the drama he revealed that he will be paid around 20-30 lakh rupees depending upon his days required. But the character is supposed to be ultra rich and to make its wardrobe, Tipu Sharif had to spend 9 lakh rupees which the production does not pay. Thus this is how male actors especially always have to curate their own wardrobe.

About Hum TV, Tipu Sharif revealed that he has not received a call for work for 6 years. They just say that there is no character that suits you. He did a huge drama like Sang e Mar Mar with them and he still never gets any offers from the channel despite having a good relationship with the management.

Celebrities

Usama Khan says Pakistan isn’t ready for global streaming platforms

Actor Usama Khan has questioned whether Pakistan is ready for global streaming platforms, saying the country’s culture of censorship must change before local productions can compete internationally.

In a recent Instagram story, Khan reacted to the government’s announcement that it is working to bring Pakistani films and dramas to platforms such as Netflix.

He argued that international streaming services are driven by authentic and unrestricted storytelling, including true crime, political dramas and stories based on real-life issues, while Pakistani content continues to face strict limitations.

According to Khan, filmmakers and writers are often unable to explore subjects such as politics, crime and history because of censorship, making it difficult to produce the kind of content global OTT platforms expect.

He added that unless artists are given greater creative freedom and the culture of banning content comes to an end, Pakistan will not be fully prepared for the international streaming market.

Khan’s remarks came after Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal announced that the government is in talks to bring Pakistani productions to Netflix and other global streaming platforms, while also developing a local OTT platform to expand the country’s media exports.