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Meera says she was subjected to 'mental torture' in the US

Meera says she was subjected to 'mental torture' in the US

Responding to the recent news of her getting admitted to an asylum, the actor said she was depressed and grossly mistreated.
16 Apr, 2021

Meera has cleared the air about the news of her being admitted to an American asylum due to some mental illness. The news took the internet by storm last week and ever since several different versions of the story and explanations have been presented, with little confirmation of what's true and what's not.

Meera, who's currently in the US on a personal tour, spoke to BBC Urdu and finally told her story.

When asked about the incident, the Baaji actor was audibly angry, and said, "There's a lobby that's working against me, they keep slandering my character to bring shame to my stardom."

When asked about what happened in her visit to the New York Brooklyn Hospital, she said she had gone to get vaccinated. She also promptly sent a video of herself getting vaccinated. The interviewer reported feeling that Meera had taken time to put a story together, and now was her time to get it across. However, when asked directly whether she was taken to a psychiatric hospital and was being deported from the United States, Meera said, 'It's really late here in America right now, and everyone in my house is sleeping. I can't talk in detail right now."

The conversation didn't end there, and as she got more comfortable talking over Whatsapp, she claimed that she's being "subjected to mental torture in US".

"I've been struggling with depression, and that's why I went to the hospital. However once there, they mistook me for being crazy. They even confiscated my phone," she alleged. "There's a difference between being depressed and mentally unstable, which is important to understand, but they refused to recognise the difference here and admitted me.

"I was screaming the entire night, calling for help, and no one came. It was a really scary night for me," she said.

"The next day, my mom made an appeal to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed for my discharge," Meera explained. Continuing, she said it was Rasheed's phone call that made her eventual discharge possible, who called on the Pakistani Embassy in the US to help her.

"I was released on a request submitted by the Pakistani Embassy," she said.

She also rejected reports of being deported from the US and said she's travelling to Dubai of her own accord and will be shooting for a Pakistani TV show there.

BBC Urdu also reached out to Meera's mother, Shafqat Zahra Bukhari, in Lahore, and reported what she had to say. "Three days ago, my daughter Meera called me and told me that she was in an American hospital, getting a COVID-19 vaccine. But then, suddenly, the call dropped," she narrated.

"I tried to get back in touch with her but failed. Then, I was contacted by a journalist in America, who told me that my daughter had been admitted into a mental asylum. She demanded protocol there, saying every government in Pakistan has treated me like a VIP," she said.

"Because I couldn't get in touch with Meera, I contacted the prime minister and the interior minister."

Meera's father also weighed in, saying his daughter had been mistreated in Pakistan by her fellows in the entertainment industry. He alleged that Meera had entered into a contract with a TV channel for their Ramazan transmission in Karachi, but another actress conspired against her and she lost the contract. He also said that the success of his daughter's movie Baaji benefitted the makers, who kept the proceeds for themselves.

"Meera was already depressed when she went to the USA, stopping in Dubai on her way, and then the incident happened," he said.

Comments

Riaz Uddin Apr 16, 2021 06:16pm
Meera does not care in selecting the proper words especially in English vernacular. Herein North America politeness and use of words in Private and personal conversation do matter a lot. Communication gap accompanying with misuse of words led this stubborn lady to mental hospital! Hopefully she will learn a lesson now.
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Pak Patriot Apr 16, 2021 06:28pm
Listening to Meera speak in English, is Mental Torture in it's self. Take a hike Meera.
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Najam Apr 16, 2021 06:50pm
No one deserves treatment that is meted out to her.
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Farooque Fahad Apr 16, 2021 07:03pm
She probably was building a case for political asylum that backfired.
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Waheed Noor Apr 16, 2021 07:32pm
If she was screaming during the night then the hospital staff would have sedated her. If she refuses she would have been taken before a judge next morning for a decision to administer medicines against her will. What PROTOCOL is she talking? No one cares for that in the USA. Pl stay in Pakistan if you wanted to be treated like stupid VIP.
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Waheed Noor Apr 16, 2021 07:34pm
Is she an effing fool or what? No one may even understand what the hell is a protocol she is talking about. That itself might cause her to be held in the Hospital treating her like a 'crazy' that she obviously is.
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Khurram Apr 16, 2021 07:40pm
At least now she can relate to some institution.
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Browngirl Apr 16, 2021 08:13pm
I hope she isn't being deported, despite saying so.
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Nk Apr 16, 2021 08:27pm
But meera you won't be able to sue them.
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D’Souza Apr 16, 2021 08:36pm
The lady is obviously depressed. Why cant the Pakistanis leave her alone.
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alli Apr 16, 2021 08:53pm
She demanded protocol there ? saying every government in Pakistan has treated me like a VIP? hilarious
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John Apr 16, 2021 10:40pm
The main problems appear to be "VIP" and "Protocol."
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Yawar Apr 16, 2021 11:11pm
I did not think someone could fly to the US to get vaccinated. And also why did she choose to go to a hospital to treat her depression in one of the most depressing place in the US, Brooklyn?
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nope Apr 16, 2021 11:18pm
America is an extremely abusive place towards people of color, muslims and South Asian Americans included, and those dealing with mental distress. The naive attempt of defending American institutions is brainwashed snobbery barbarism. I don't know who Meera even is, but the reactive apathy in the comments is a sign of simplicity and extreme stupidity.
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Shahid Tanvir Apr 16, 2021 11:30pm
She was having nice time with some guys doing carpet business in New York and I saw her pics.
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Taj Ahmad Apr 16, 2021 11:32pm
Meera is always been an innocent actress in Pakistan, she is also most beautiful alongwith all others actresses of Pakistani films industry.
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Secularist Apr 16, 2021 11:35pm
The quality of mercy is not strained. Much as one may enjoy at her expense while she confidently butchers English, we need to be empathetic toward someone who has issues with mental health. Just let go.
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Irfan Huq Apr 16, 2021 11:47pm
@Waheed Noor Which country you live in. no one is taken to judge in USA a psychiatrist is authorised to Commit anyone who he thinks pt.is danger to herself danger to others or danger to property or is unable to make rational decision
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STRAIGHT FORWARD Apr 16, 2021 11:55pm
One has to understand that if you are not equally treated in your own country how can you expect fair treatment from others.
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Changez Khan Apr 17, 2021 12:05am
A coordinated attack to defame her.
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Shakil Khan Apr 17, 2021 12:57am
Meera may be suffering from stress and bi-polar mental condition agravated by deprevation of Urdu speaking culture in USA. She will be O.K in Dubai because she will be in home environment there with plenty of Pakistani around her.
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FAZ Apr 17, 2021 01:02am
US is an English speaking country
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Memon Abdul Apr 17, 2021 01:06am
First of all it's Meera Ji, and second, she stands to be the most talented actor Pakistani roster has to offer or will have to off for a long time...the length she has gone through to maintain the "insanity" persona is remarkable... I have nothing but respect for her dedication to maintaining that same image and profile for decades... Every time she shows up in the headlines we know it is the insanity case but each time she comes back with a fresh twist of a master script writer. Carrying that same image for decades and still seeming fresh generation after generation, Meera Ji truly is the epitome of talent in this country... RESPECT!
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Laila Apr 17, 2021 01:14am
I genuinely think she may be a sweet person. She doesn't come off very wise though. She has been through a lot, and I actually just wish she would marry and settle down. But mentally I think she is struggling. Fame and stardom is not worth losing yourself or your mental health over. There is more to life. Be an adult, take responsibility for yourself and stop talking to media. They will tear you down as that sells news papers and gives ratings.
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Amjad Durrani Engineer USA Apr 17, 2021 02:40am
@Waheed Noor well said. She must understand that USA is not Pakistan where such trivial incidents are normal. Here such behavior is taken as harassment and is against the law. She must have behaved like crazy with her poor communication capability while seeking treatment for her depression during her visit to the mental hospital and that is how she underwent her nightmare. She is better off to stay put in Pakistan where she belong and act as a celebrity there to her admirers, if she wants to avoid a repeat of what happened to her in New York.
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Jag Apr 17, 2021 03:08am
It’s sad that so little is understood about Mental illness. Hopefully Meera will be able to overcome this phase and become stronger. Good luck.
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M. Mushtaq Ahmed Apr 17, 2021 05:12am
You may be big shot in Pakistan but don’t play that in America, they don’t care and will treat you as an average person.
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Mr. Sindhi Apr 17, 2021 07:25am
I love you, Meera.
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Nauman Sindhu Apr 17, 2021 07:29am
After hearing her lovely pinglish we feel the same.
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Aamir Apr 17, 2021 07:34am
I think if she had a translator that would probably help her a lot.
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Annoying Crow Apr 17, 2021 08:18am
Meera demanded protocol and VIP treatment, probably that’s why the US hospital staff thought she was crazy and admitted her into mental hospital. Crazy desi stars!!!
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M. Emad Apr 17, 2021 09:38am
Pakistani film actress Meera deported from the US ??
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AAMIR Apr 17, 2021 11:28am
@Najam No sir! She is the one who creates the whole drama to draw attention as she couldn’t do it with any talent. She has been missing from the media front it was a perfect opportunity for her draw some attention whether good or bad. By the way she does need some mental medical help for her own good. Cheers!
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AAMIR Apr 17, 2021 11:30am
@Waheed Noor - Even in Pakistan she does not get any VIP treatment and for what? She is a B or even a C class actress at best.
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AAMIR Apr 17, 2021 11:32am
@D’Souza - She does not want to be left alone; that’s the whole story. She wants to stay in limelight through these cheap tactics.
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FS Apr 17, 2021 01:50pm
The lack of empathy is astonishing
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Sane Mind1st Apr 17, 2021 02:55pm
@Laila And marry! for what? Pak men are well known to be abusive. It will add to her stress levels
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Ch. K. A. Nye Apr 17, 2021 03:13pm
@Najam... And what treatment was that? All we have is her version.
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JZ Apr 17, 2021 08:22pm
How could she be getting g a covid vaccine if she’s not a resident? They want ID and insurance info when you register.
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Alla Bux Apr 18, 2021 05:24am
@nope Not true. USA is a melting pot and merit is respected. I have been living here for the past 3 decades and never felt discriminated. But then if you want to pray during office hours or want to wear a hijab in the office and feel discriminated then that is your problem. When you are in Rome be a Roman.
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Alla Bux Apr 18, 2021 05:37am
@D’Souza I understand. Psychiatric disorders are extremely misunderstood in S Asian countries. That is very unfortunate. It is the patient who has to realize what the problem and seek help. But most often it does not happen in Pakistan because of the stigma attached to that.
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Younis Hussain Apr 19, 2021 01:34pm
Well Done Meera keep it up......Khoob Naam roshan karo apna aur Pakistan ka....You are the real Ambasdor of pakistan...No one can represent Pakistan better than you !
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