New Delhi: It’s rare for women to come out and share their experiences with an abusive partner, and it’s even rarer for a celebrity to do so. So, when Aliza Sultan, Pakistani actor Feroze Khan’s ex-wife, shared ‘proof’ of domestic abuse, the response was immediate. Feroze Khan is known for TV dramas such as Khuda aur Mohabbat (2011) and Ishqiya (2020), and the telefilm Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hai (2016).
Pakistani celebrities expressed outrage and solidarity. “Should be in jail. Disgusting human being,” singer Shae Gill of Pasoori fame wrote after photos of the bruises endured by Sultan went viral across social media channels in Pakistan.
Soon after, a medical report outlining her injuries surfaced online, and other celebrities came out in support. They included actor and choreographer Osman Khalid Butt, model Mushk Kaleem, and actor Saboor Ali.
“I hope and pray you get the justice you deserve, Aliza,” Khalid Butt wrote.
Sultan had first claimed on Instagram that she was abused on 21 September, but the nature of the abuse was made known only after her lawyers submitted evidence to the courts. Actress Mariyam Nafees Amaan tweeted her anger against the physical abuse women are subjected to. “Blunt injuries to both arms, back and chest. Oh, God! Why do we raise our voices only when they’re dead? Why do we blame them when they manage to escape?” the tweet said.
Actress Armeena Khan urged people to speak out, while singer Asim Azhar wrote: “Domestic violence is unacceptable.”
Two sides to the violence?
In September, Sultan announced on Instagram that she was divorcing Khan and accused him of abuse and infidelity. “Our marriage of four years was absolute chaos. In addition to continuous physical and psychological violence during this period, I had to endure infidelity, blackmail and degradation at my husband’s hands,” she wrote.
She further wrote that she has “reached the sad conclusion that I cannot spend my whole life in this horrific manner.”
Khan asked the court to prevent Sultan from discussing the matter on social media, but details of a session where her legal team presented documents in support of her claims of abuse have now emerged. The lawyer told Dawn that the client had posted the documents to prove she had not lied on social media.
After the images emerged, Khan took to social media to “vehemently deny” the allegations. “I would categorically like to state that I have always followed the rule of law… and strongly believe in all human rights of every human,” he said.
Her attorneys filed the papers in a Karachi family court in connection with a custody case.
Ironically, Khan had started an Instagram page in 2020 supporting victims of domestic abuse, reported People Pakistan. Initially, when Sultan talked about marital abuse, she faced backlash. It was only when fans saw the evidence submitted to the court that many began to take her seriously.
Shehzad Ghias Khan, the host of the podcast The Pakistan Experience too tweeted in support of the survivor and said: “To all the men out there who are posting Aliza’s story wishing Feroze Khan ‘Happy Fathers Day’ while being abused as evidence that she is lying now — all of you are idiots.”
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Not a first
In 2019, actor Mohsin Abbas Haider was accused of domestic abuse by his wife, Fatema. Celebrities like Mahira Khan, Asim Azhar, Hania Amir, and Ushna Shah too spoke out, condemning his behaviour.
Domestic violence has been plaguing Pakistani society. Women between the ages of 15 and 49 made up 28 per cent of those affected by intimate partner violence in the 2017–2018 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, said an Al Jazeera report.
The report further added that in 2021, an adviser to the Prime Minister suggested sending the Domestic Violence Bill to the Council of Islamic Ideology for evaluation, halting its progress despite having been enacted by the National Assembly to provide legal protection and relief for victims.
According to the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index 2021, Pakistan is ranked 130 out of 139 countries. The country has a comprehensive legal framework regarding violence against women, but there is still much work to be done to ensure its effective implementation. About 34 per cent of married women have experienced domestic violence, and 56 per cent of those who have endured physical or sexual violence did not seek assistance, according to a United Nations report.