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As #MeToo picks up in Pakistan, Junaid Akram and Faisal Edhi are accused of sexual harassment

As #MeToo picks up in Pakistan, Junaid Akram and Faisal Edhi are accused of sexual harassment

Comedian Junaid Akram has responded to the harassment claims against him
Updated 16 Oct, 2018

After a long lull in the #MeToo movement in Pakistan, a few brave women have stepped forward on social media to name and shame men they say have harassed and abused them and demand an end to a culture of sexual exploitation and harassment.

TV host Rabia Anum tweeted on October 9 that numerous young women have gotten in touch with her to talk about being harassed by a "known social media guy and a comedian".

Several people concluded that her tweet alluded to stand-up comic Junaid Akram:

Others have shared with Images, on condition on anonymity, stories alleging that Akram behaved inappropriately with them:

Another woman shared, "I was 16 and had just finished my O levels. I followed Junaid Akram on social media and would occasionally comment on his posts. Once he messaged me to say that I shouldn't comment on his posts that may carry dual meaning as he had some creepy uncles added. I was like 'okay' and would then avoid commenting. Another time he asked for my WhatsApp number. I gave it to him. We talked once or twice on WhatsApp. The conversation consists of polite, casual remarks. Once on a Friday, he remarked about Jummah prayers. And then suddenly out of nowhere, he said, 'I wanna see you' to which I replied 'Yes sure, whenever you are in country' because he was residing out of country at that time. He replied, 'No, I wanna see you now, if you know what I mean.' I didn't know what to reply, so I ended up not replying to his comment and blocked him later."

Akram has denied all claims of sexual harassment:

In a separate conversation with Images, he said, "I would like to state that all allegations of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct are false. I am a social activist who interacts with all types of people, however, my conduct in such dealings has always been courteous, respectful, and consensual. It is unfortunate that this type of false information is being circulated and propagated at the expense of my reputation and my name.

"I have never blackmailed or coerced anyone to send their pictures, or so as to have an online relationship with me. Any relationship between me and a third party was wholly consensual. Pertaining to how serious these allegations are, I have already met my legal team, and the wheels have already been set in motion to bring to book those who are trying to hurt me and people associated with me."

Following his denial, another woman has also come forward to share her account of how Akram made her feel uncomfortable on a Turkey tour where the comedian was supposed to be the headliner.

“At the end of the first day, he messaged me saying the group is going to a nearby tourist attraction and if I’d like to join. However, when I got to the lobby, it was just him and one other woman. Our tour guide came to the lobby but Junaid took him to the side and he went back to his room after their conversation. After we got back to our hotel, we went to eat food in his room and the other girl and I left together. Once I got back to my room, he texted me saying if I wasn’t sleepy, I could come up by myself. I declined.”

“When I asked the guide the next morning why he didn’t join, he informed me that Junaid had told him we’re his friends and we’d prefer going by ourselves. This was obviously not true; my only interaction with Junaid before this was through Facebook and that too our conversation was just about the logistics of the trip.”

She said Junaid also forcefully grabbed her hand while she was sitting on the bus the next day, which she told him off for instantly and was why she ignored him for the rest of the trip entirely. She also told the travel agency rep soon after it happened, only to find out that another woman entirely had already complained about his inappropriate behaviour.

“I was so sad about it, I didn’t even tell my family thinking they’d make fun of me for actually being a fan,” she added.

A part of the woman's conversation with an employee of the travel company
A part of the woman's conversation with an employee of the travel company

A part of her conversation with the travel company
A part of her conversation with the travel company

Faisal Edhi, son of world-famous philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi and chairman of the Edhi Foundation, has also been accused of sexual harassment by former journalist Urooj Zia.

In a series of tweets, Urooj shared that she met Faisal Edhi to talk about fundraising for a communist party and he began to harass her after that first meeting, which she described as "civil".

"He offered to drop me [back to work, which was nearby]. I said, sure. Here was a guy who was much older than me, had behaved well, I didn’t see a reason to refuse. He also asked for my number 'for further discussion,' and I gave it to him.

"We got to the office building, I thanked him, and started to get off. He held out his hand. I shook it politely, at which point, he grabbed my hand tightly and tried to kind of pull me back into the van. I was already halfway out, and didn’t realise what he was doing. When he pulled even harder, I suddenly 'came to,' sort of, angrily took my arm back, and walked off."

Urooj shares that her first reaction was to gaslight herself: "[I] told myself that maybe what I thought had happened hadn’t happened, and maybe I was “misreading” the whole thing. Maybe I was overreacting, maybe he was making sure that I got out safely. After all, he was Faisal Edhi, how could I even think that he would misbehave in this manner. So I put the whole thing away, mentally berating myself for thinking such horrible things about 'such a selfless, noble person'."

She shared that after the encounter in his car, Faisal began sending her "random messages" in the middle of the night. She added that Faisal would often try to initiate conversations over text messages, offered to send her credit to reply to those messages and would try to establish friendly terms with her. He also suggested that her party work would be affected if she didn't communicate with him when he wanted.

Urooj said that she was convinced that his behaviour constituted harassment when he called her from London and said he called "all the way from there because you’re a special girl, Urooj."

"He said that party funding and assistance would be withdrawn if I didn’t want to be 'friends' with him. I hung up, retched violently, and went to the restroom and threw up," writes Urooj, adding that "This was a married man. With kids. Much older than me. This was Abdul Sattar Edhi’s son... I sat there shaking for over an hour. He kept blowing up my phone all night until I switched it off."

Urooj also talked about why she didn't come forward before: "For years and years, I blamed myself for 'maybe doing something, which had led to this.' This garbage conditioning runs deep. Until the day I realised that I had done nothing wrong; he had. Still, I kept it to myself because of who he was. "Who would believe me," I thought. Folks will pile on me because he is "Edhi saheb's son... No more."

Images has reached out to Faisal Edhi for comment and is awaiting a response. He has, however, denied the allegations to other local publications, saying “I do not even know this lady and I have no idea why she is levelling allegations against me.”

In recent days the #MeToo movement has picked up across the border in India, leading to a series of high-profile accusations. In journalism, figures such as MJ Akbar have been accused of harassment; in the entertainment world directors like Subhash Kapoor have been accused of attempted rape. In comedy circles AIB co-founders made to step down from comedy collective amid #MeToo allegations.


This is a developing story. If you have been affected by sexual harassment, please email the Images editorial team at images.web@dawn.com. Your identity will be protected.

Comments

Sajjad Memon Oct 11, 2018 05:58pm
Pandora box is out.
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Qasim Oct 11, 2018 06:32pm
I have heard stories about Junaid even before all of this came out. Not surprised, but unfortunately nothing will happen as he' now become a famous entity. People usually misuse their position in our society, high time we deal with such people for good so nobody gets hurt again in the future.
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Aamna Oct 11, 2018 06:42pm
I know for a fact that Junaid Akram does indulge in cyber harrassment. I have had the misfortune of being one of his online friends back in 2014 and 2015, the days he was probably dangling between UAE and Pakistan. He used to send extremely cryptic messages and would hurl sexual abuses and innuendoes at anyone who even slightly disagreed with his POV. Not so surprised at the advancement against him, it was about time.
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kash Oct 11, 2018 07:06pm
This is all getting a bit too much now.
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Sohaib Oct 11, 2018 07:18pm
If you have evidence then go to court instead of trying to get mere media coverage!
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Truth&Awareness Oct 11, 2018 08:16pm
MetooMovement is a blessing in disguise for victims of sexual harassment for men, women amf tramsgenders that have been wronged by other people. As much as this movement has liberated victims, this movement also should provide courage to culprits too. Specially those that want to voluntarily come forward and have their conscience clean. We must allow culprits be they men and women to come forward and speak up too and admit what wrongs they had committed and how awful of harassment actually is. Only then can we also generate a true awakening and actual recognition of this problem. Things will be far from perfect. But an honest debate is also needed for voluntary admissions to contribute to development of a safe space in future for men, women and trans people.
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YASMEEN Oct 11, 2018 08:27pm
Women have been speaking about Junaid Akram for the past several months. Finally someone heard them?
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SivaD Oct 11, 2018 08:34pm
What a shame! Hopefully, more will come out to establish a pattern that can nail the guy delfinitiveky. Urooj in any case is a pioneer for coming out. It takes guts.
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Uzi Oct 11, 2018 09:06pm
Now anyone can accuse without a shread of evidence. Just WOW
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Naxalite Oct 11, 2018 09:40pm
The tweet doesn't post any screenshots for proofs yet but the article is published? isn't it unfair
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Naxalite Oct 11, 2018 10:06pm
Where are the screenshots/proofs?
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Naxalite Oct 11, 2018 10:06pm
If you want us to believe then share proofs aswell
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UAK Oct 11, 2018 10:28pm
This is unbelievable . . . .Salute to the youngsters in highlighting cruelty . . . .It should STOP!!!
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Humza Oct 11, 2018 10:51pm
Both of the men look like the kind of perverts described here, especially Faisal Edhi.
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Akhil Oct 11, 2018 11:06pm
Good, women everywhere is speaking and exposing wolves in sheep's clothing
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Omair Oct 11, 2018 11:20pm
@Sohaib you're kidding right? in country where rape victims don't get justice you want women to go to court for harassment.
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Observer - Canada Oct 11, 2018 11:46pm
It is shocking to know about Faisal. I know him personally oooops. If true, he should have cared for the repute of his illustrious father, for a second.
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jaani Oct 12, 2018 12:44am
so this junaid guy ... isnt he always trying to be everyone's moral police? guess his own past deeds have come back to haunt him, see this is why i always get weird negative I-dont-like-this-guy vibe around people always trying to LECTURE others because if u r constantly pointing fingers at others to prove what a good human being u r which u r not, no one is perfect, then eventually your own demons will surface and come out in the public as well. So dont go on trying to lecture others only for sake of feeling better about your own disgusting habits. Shame on Junaid.
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Shah Oct 12, 2018 01:08am
Finally, let us hear all the stories of the so called hotshots who think their are bigger then the rest.
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Imran Khan Oct 12, 2018 03:25am
these allegations are true, as no girl will do this and face media if she is lying and these guys are not Trump or Putin that peole will make money defaming them, these people are popular and only loose credibility, i believe in these womens
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Pranav A. Oct 12, 2018 07:24am
@Naxalite Why is disbelief your gut reaction? Secondly, why would people save screenshots of text messages from ages ago - especially if they were doubtful that they were harassed? Harassment and assault is so normalized globally that not all victims immediately recognize that crimes were committed against them.
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Hi Oct 12, 2018 07:32am
Edhi have been like that for ages
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Abdullah Oct 12, 2018 09:48am
What is sad is that the courts here will side with the men, put the onus on the women to provide evidence and pretty much absolve men of all responsibility. These brave women will probably come out with their reputations in tatters. We only need to see how the Meesha Shafi Ali Zafar story has unfolded.
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Sabir Pakistani Oct 12, 2018 09:53am
Junaid akram should be put in jail. He must have sexually harass so many women before.
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Mirza Rohail Baig Oct 12, 2018 11:37am
It is such a good thing to see women coming out like this. I believe it is very important thing happening here as these sexual predators now know that they can be named and shamed publicly. There is no place to hide now. More power to social media.
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Tahera Oct 12, 2018 11:51am
Telling the world is good, very, very good, these people should be named and shamed so that they and all other similarily inclined people dare not behave in such a manner!!! Those who come out and tell their story and thereby strehthen and warn others can not be thanked enough for their courage and the help that they are thereby to others!!! THANK YOU!!!
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M. Sameen Oct 12, 2018 12:45pm
Aaaaaaand his lady friend called me jealous or into him due to my straight shot attitude and comments on his crappy comedy. However... he talked for a while on fb and asked if he cud call. When he called, he politely asked me what was my problem and we talked casually for a while. It ws a decent talk but i never felt like talking to him or seejng his gig or meet him. Somewhat .. may b he had ths twisted belief that girls seeing him want to do stuff with him and he sees a meetup as consensual. P.S. He blocked me on hs page... my comments were too much i guess. :D
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Dr. Anjum, Los Angeles Oct 12, 2018 01:12pm
When such accusations are made it is rational, reasonable, logical and forensic to study the motives and past of the accuser. They may be projecting from their own guilty feelings.
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Mohsin Oct 12, 2018 02:42pm
Urooj's case can be clarified by checking call records. Whoever is the culprit, should be strictly punished, so that no one can dare to harass someone in future. On the other hand, if accusations are incorrect then people would think twice before leveling false blame against someone.
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Ali Raza Oct 12, 2018 02:53pm
@Abdullah put the onus on them to provide evidence? You say that like it's the wrong thing for a court of law to do. It's people like you who convict others in the court of public opinion without any proof. Even in the article the girl leveling the allegations says she can't find her screenshots... for all that's sane and rational please rub two brain cells together people before jumping to conclusions.
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Sarfraz Oct 12, 2018 02:59pm
This is our civil society!
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N abidai Oct 12, 2018 08:27pm
Respect women, or just other human being is taught at home ,what are parents teaching their kids ! The cultural of respect needs to be started at home ,at work,in schools, in media, in public places to stop the abuse and disrespect by people's with small and high level of power!
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Saad Razzaq Oct 12, 2018 10:08pm
Junaid Akram is not even a celebrity. I think it will take another 500 years for men to get civilized or maybe more
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Truth Oct 13, 2018 08:51am
Use lie detectors
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A shah Oct 13, 2018 02:55pm
Pakistani women are relying on Indian women’s bravery and standing up. Sisters for life.
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akram Oct 13, 2018 03:14pm
more power to these ladies for having the courage to speak out, we all know the kind of chauvinist society Pakistan is today, but this is necessary so we have a better society tomorrow. Everyone should speak out, do not suffer in silence, it's time the predators themselves begin to suffer.
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akram Oct 13, 2018 03:16pm
@Sohaib its easy for you to say, you will never be a woman in Pakistan pressured by your family will you?
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akram Oct 13, 2018 03:19pm
@Truth don't even need to go that far, just check the guy's whatsapp feed over the last few years. The evidence is there.
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rana1 Oct 13, 2018 04:10pm
@Uzi ....any self respecting woman gains nothing by lying.Why dont you men keep to yourself?
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FIDA SAYANI Oct 13, 2018 08:05pm
In sexual harassment, the victim is always the women. This has been happening for thousand of years. The invaders, who were victors will snatch the women for their pleasure and the creature is always helpless. In today's world the methods are different. Th e courageous ones do come forward, but do the world listen to them. Presently what happened in USA is a good example. The man got elected to the USA Supreme Court with 52-48 margin and guess what, even some of the women senators voted for the culprit. How disgusting?
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Mumtaz Ahmed Shah Oct 13, 2018 11:22pm
Congratulation to Images Staff/Dawn to publish # Metoo Movement in Pakistan too.Shame on Junaid and Faisal Edhi.We can say only " Molves in Sheep's clothing.(Texas)
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PETER SURAJ PARKASH Oct 14, 2018 03:37am
The credit goes to Meesha Shafi who successfully launched Me Too in the subcontinent. Courageous women who followed her in both countries started a perpetual chain of disclosures. This an admirable change in the male dominant conservative societies of Pakstan and India where younger generations are rejecting lifestyles of gender suppression and exploitation.
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Pranav A. Oct 14, 2018 04:38am
I forgot to mention this in my previous comment: The demand to immediately report ignores and belittles the trauma faced by victims.
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