Fatema Sohail’s allegations of domestic abuse and cheating on Mohsin Abbas Haider have sparked a debate on the issue of domestic violence and the rights of a wife in our society. Though it’s sad that the issue is gaining traction now, considering that it something that almost every woman in this society has experienced, better late than never, right?
Meera, who recently shared the screen with Mohsin in Baaji, expressed her thoughts on a matter, saying that men have no clue on how to talk to women.
“There is a problem of sexual harassment and sexism in Pakistan,” Meera said while talking to a media outlet. “Women are treated like paon ki jooti and are not given their due rights.”
Meera then said that films on the issues of domestic violence need to be made.
When asked on how Mohsin is as a person, Meera responded that all actors have two different lives – their personal/family life and their screen life. She said that her relationship with Mohsin was that of a colleague and she doesn’t know any details of his married life. She said she will get a clearer picture after she meets Mohsin and his family and fully understands the matter.
Meera and Mohsin while promoting Baaji
On whether Mohsin should be punished or not, Meera said, “If the woman is at fault, then the man should be served justice. And if the man is at fault, then the woman should be given justice.”
In an explosive account posted to social media late Saturday night, Mohsin Abbas Haider’s wife, Fatema, came forward with accusations of cheating and domestic abuse against the actor-singer.
In a tell-all account posted to Facebook, Mohsin’s wife Fatema Sohail recounted her ordeal in which she alleged that in November 2018, she caught Mohsin cheating on her. When she confronted him, “instead of being embarrassed he started beating” her even though she was pregnant at that time. Luckily her child survived and Fatema said that she moved past the incident for the sake of her child. She continued that her childbirth was a complicated process but Mohsin never supported her and was instead, busy having an affair with an emerging model, Nazish Jahangir.
Fatema further alleged that Mohsin’s talks about being depressed and suicidal are just attention-seeking stunts. She signed off her post telling her husband that she will now see him in court. Fatema also attached proofs of the incidents of violence in her post.
On Sunday night, Mohsin held a press conference in Lahore in which he denied all allegations. Mohsin placed a copy of the Quran in front of him as he spoke and kept his hand on it during the entire conference. He began by saying that his upbringing doesn’t allow him to drag women into the public eye and disrespect them. He said that he has been brought up in a female-dominated environment where he cannot even think about raising his hand on a woman.
Sharing details of his marriage, Mohsin shared that their marriage happened in the heat of the moment and there was no mutual understanding between the couple and throughout the marriage, they were aware of this. He said that his marriage was toxic and he felt suffocated in his own home. Mohsin added that his only reason to stay in this marriage was his son.
Mohsin and Fatema tied the knot in 2015. Mohsin claims that he and his wife only lived together for one out of the four years they were married. Their son Haider was born earlier this year in May. Mohsin often posts pictures of himself with his son on social media. They previously also had a daughter who passed away when she was only a month old.
Mohsin said that the picture in which Fatema had a bruised face and hand, was from 2018 and taken after she fell off the stairs. He then invited Fatema to come to the press club or to even go to the police and submit a medical report of any recent injuries. He said that he has recorded his statements at the police station where the FIR against him has been registered.
He alleged that Fatema has a habit of lying and cheating and that her whole family can testify to that.
“A few days after our wedding, her lies started to surface,” Mohsin claimed. “She used to tell me she was going someplace but went somewhere else.”
Haider asserted that Sohail’s father was a witness to her lies. “When his daughter’s lies were caught, he told me, ‘Son, even God forgives one sin.’”
Mohsin said that he has always fulfilled his responsibilities, including the financial ones, as a father and husband. He said that he bears his family’s expenses and has all the bills of Fatema’s hospital visit and discharge slips. Fatema had alleged that Mohsin refused to bear the financial burden of her and their son.
Mohsin said that Fatema is trying to play the “woman card,” before adding that she is a troubled woman and the only way forward is a divorce. He said that he doesn’t have anything against her and the entire situation is because of Fatema’s jealousy.
Nazish Jahangir’s statement
Following Mohsin’s press conference, his alleged girlfriend Nazish Jahangir shared her version of the story. She explained that she has been unnecessarily dragged into the couple’s marital issues and that only Mohsin can explain why her name is being dragged through the mud. Nazish said that the entire episode has left her mentally shattered and she has no idea why Fatema dragged into this, especially because she considered Fatema to be a friend and well-wisher.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0MDetIn-bP/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0MD-GTnlm_/
Meanwhile, members of the Pakistan film industry came out in support of Fatema and raised their voice against domestic violence.
Gohar Rasheed and Dua Malik claimed that they witnessed Mohsin’s abuse first hand but did not do anything because Fatima wanted them to maintain silence.
Hamza Ali Abbasi stepped forward to support Gohar’s account while Humaima Malick corroborated Dua’s claims.
I’m a witness ! @DuaMalikk use to call me and tell me how painful it was for her to listen to Fatima sohail and her suffering from pain it’s been 3 years … I wish Fatima did this before what she did now
Mahira Khan said that no one has the “right to raise their hand on anyone.”
Sick to my stomach. What gives anybody the right to raise their hand on anyone? Nothing. No excuse. For eons now we have normalised abuse (of all kinds) and for the sake of our children this needs to stop.
Shaan said that “real men don’t hit or disrespect women and the ones that do are not one of us.”
Real men don’t hit or disrespect women .. the ones that do are not one of us ..they should be treated as criminals and given the same treatment by the law..
Mohsin’s Baaji co-star Osman Khalid Butt said he had no words for the allegations before proceeding to say that those men who “lay so much as a finger on a woman” deserve a special place in hell.
I've been staring at this screen, grappling with the images I saw, trying to form a coherent sentence. … There is a special place in hell reserved for anyone who would lay so much as a finger on a woman. You cannot justify abuse. It is indefensible. I am sick to my stomach.
— Osman Khalid Butt 🇵🇸 (@aClockworkObi) July 21, 2019
Zara Noor Abbas
The sickest person is a man who abuses and violates women. The same being who gave birth to you. To all the women violaters out there, watch out because hell has fallen for you NOW.#BeginTrial#Timesup
— Zara Noor Abbas Siddiqui (@ZaraNoorAbbas) July 21, 2019
Mansha Pasha requests all men to think twice before raising his hand on a woman.
Dear men, Before you even think abt hitting your women, JUST DONT. There is no excuse, no validation, nothing u can offer that in ANY way makes this okay. We are stronger than we look & we will fight back. Silence is not, was not & never will be an option.
Fatima’s story is heart wrenching. We should respect her courage and bravery, and stand together to support the victims of domestic violence. #StopDomesticViolence
Domestic abuse ( or abuse of any kind) should not be taken lightly!! There is a reason why women find it hard to come out and speak about this. For every man that commits this hideous crime, there are many more that will always stand against it.
The oppressed will no longer remain quiet. ThankGod #TimesUp . I hope this is made into an example & not forgotten. NO side of story can explain domestic violence. Serious action must be taken by concerned channels & production houses. Abuser must be shamed out Loud.#MohsinAbbas
“Mohsin Abbas Haider, shame on you,” wrote singer/actor Haroon Shahid on Twitter.
Growing up I remember, once my father got really upset when he saw my mother crying. Upon inquiring, he found out that one of our neighbor used to beat his wife. He went up to his house the same day and put him in his place. The guy was a wuss. #MohsinAbbasHaider shame on you!
I have just been talking all evening about walking away from domestic abuse only to come home & see this #MohsinAbbasHaider WALK OUT before it's too late.#StopDomesticAbuse
Mohsin Abbas Haider’s wife Fatema’s explosive allegations of domestic violence and cheating against the actor-singer sent Pakistan’s entertainment industry reeling on Sunday. Members of the film fraternity stepped forward to extend their support to Fatema and raised their voice against domestic abuse.
Mahira Khan, who often voices her opinions on matters of social interest, took to Twitter to share her thoughts on the allegations.
“Sick to my stomach. What gives anybody the right to raise their hand on anyone?,” she wrote.
Sick to my stomach. What gives anybody the right to raise their hand on anyone? Nothing. No excuse. For eons now we have normalised abuse (of all kinds) and for the sake of our children this needs to stop.
A Twitter user in response to Mahira’s tweet commented that everyone from the entertainment industry is part of the abuse.
I’m sorry but everybody from the industry is a part of it. Those of you who know certain people are abusers, emotional or physical and yet you people are happy to click pictures with them and invite them to parties and after they’re exposed you ppl speak up.
In response to this, Mahira commented that she is “bloody proud of the industry she works in” because they “side with the right thing” and “use our voice for the right reasons.”
Disagree! So bloody proud of the industry I work in. We are mere entertainers but we constantly stick our necks out and side with the right thing. Go find an industry like ours where at the cost of being abused we still use our voice for the right reasons. https://t.co/BlUk9hOT5s
While sharing her thoughts on the accusations, Mahira also remarked that the matter of abuse should be dealt with seriously and people from a young age should be educated about consent, domestic abuse and sexual abuse.
We need counsellors in schools for children going through issues at home (And truth be told we have all been there). Girls and boys in school should be taught about consent, domestic abuse, sexual abuse etc. These should be subjects as basic as math and science.
If you’re an avid social media user, you must have come across several posts regarding a person, Ukhano who has been accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour by multiple women. If you’re reading this article, chances are that you’re trying to figure out what exactly is going on.
Let’s start with the basics.
Who is Ukhano?
Ukhano, whose real name is Umar Khan is a video blogger, known for his quirky and fun content. A graduate of the National College of Arts, Umar is spotted at all the it events hanging out and sharing a laugh with all the A-list celebrities. Umar has been part of several notable projects and has also worked with Peshawar Zalmi as their official vlogger. His content is popular among the Millenials.
What is the controversy?
Earlier this week, several women came forward and accused Umar of sexual harassment. The first accusation was made in a Facebook post which has now been removed. But soon the allegations gained traction and hashtags such as #Ukhano, #UkhanoExposed began to trend on Twitter, following which multiple women came forward with their accounts and shared screenshots of Umar behaving inappropriately. The women claimed that Khan would send messages with sexual innuendos and ask them to send “bold” pictures of themselves to him.
This thread has pretty much all the screenshot and harassment claims:
Soon after the allegations surfaced, Umar came forward with a video in which he said that all allegations against him are false and requested everyone to listen to his video at least once before making a judgment. In his video, he said that he’s worked with a lot of women in the course of his career and is sure that he did not make any one of them feel uncomfortable.
He continued, “The reason I’m making this video is because I owe you guys the truth and the truth is that I know this person and I’ve worked with this person and that is it. Other than that, whatever allegations and claims have been made against me are lies.”
He finished off saying that he has visual evidence to prove his innocence but he doesn’t want to use it because “someone’s life can get ruined because of it.”
Though social media continues to be divided over Umar, several well-known personalities stepped forward to support Umar. Among those was Polish travel blogger Eva Zu Beck, actor/host Anoushey Ashraf and vloggers Mooroo and Irfan Junejo.
Eva Zu Beck
Anoushey Ashraf
Mooroo
Mooroo asked everyone to wait for the full picture before making a judgment. He requested everyone to not be emotional.
So after doing a podcast with Junaid Akram, Mo*ro now gives his two cents on #ukhano issue.
The story doesn’t end there. Soon after the harassment allegations surfaced, Ahmad Butt, a singer came forward and alleged that Umar stole the music of a Pashtun music artist Naseer Afridi and sold it to a business called CPIC.
As per Ahmad, “Ukhano had conveyed to the company that Naseer Afridi was aware of this when in reality, he wasn’t. Ukhano received a good sum of money for selling Naseers songs and kept it for himself. Later when Naseer found out from people about his music being used in the videos Ukhano made for that company, he talked to them.”
Ahmad said that the company compensated Naseer for his work. However, the money Umar received is still with him.
The live-action remake of The Lion King has finally hit the cinema after a long, long wait. Two versions of the film were released here in Pakistan – English and Hindi. Some fans took to social media to suggest that an Urdu version of the film should also be released. If that was the case, here’s who we think would be best fit for the characters.
Simba and Mufasa – Shaan Shahid
Considering how dear to Shaan this film is, we decided to give both Simba and Mufasa to him.
Scar – Ali Zafar
It’s the hair.
Nala – Mehwish Hayat
Who better than Mehwish to play the fierce Nala?
Timon – Mani
The resemblance is uncanny.
Pumba – Ahmed Ali Butt
When you think witty, the only person from Pakistan’s film industry who comes to mind is without a doubt Ahmed Ali Butt.
While Hamza Ali Abbasi is a talented actor, his social media needs some ‘monitoring’. Abbasi’s tweets land him in controversy every now and then, and it isn’t without reason.
On July 18, following former prime minster Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s arrest, Hamza tweeted:
1st time in the history of Pak a civilian Govt arresting THE BIG FISH who have raped Pak for decades! Maybe why sum think its a conspiracy bcz its never happnd be4: & be4 u say "MUSHARRAF", he is absconder just like civilians Sharif sons, Ali Imran, Ishaq Dar, Altaf Hussain etc
We think Hamza was rightly schooled. Rape analogy is not something to be used lightly. Many people on social media use rape as an analogy in tweets related to sports or rivalries or politics. Not only is it in bad taste but it is also a disservice to rape survivors.
As Lala Mustafa explained to Hamza, “Rape is about power. Rape is more of a psychological crime against a person whereby they are stripped of their power and agency.”
“Hello, Upper East Siders. Gossip Girl is coming back.”
The show is on its way back to television, this time in a new series for upcoming streaming service HBO Max.
HBO Max, owned by WarnerMedia, announced that it had ordered a new, 10-episode series that will be set eight years after Gossip Girl ended its original run in 2012, and will follow a new generation of private school kids. They added that the new series will explore how much social media and the landscape of New York has changed in recent years.
It is currently unclear whether any of the original stars, including Blake Lively, Penn Badgely, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick and Leighton Meester, will return.
Gossip Girl was one of the most popular shows on television, winning 18 Teen Choice awards and inspiring fashion, hairstyles and beauty lines. You know you love me.
Given that Friends will also be shifting from Netflix to HBO Max, where do we sign up?
