Dawn Images

Actor Iqra Aziz has refused to stay silent in the face of injustice. She was not only vocal about the side she’s on but decided to take action in a show of support for victims of domestic violence by opting out of her project with Feroze Khan. She, along with her husband Yasir Hussain, stand with Khan’s former wife Aliza Sultan who recently presented emergency room reports and photos of her bruises in a Karachi family court as proof of abuse.

On Wednesday, Aziz shared a note on Instagram that included hashtags #saynotoviolence and #supportwomen in her caption. “‘To stay silent in the face of injustice is to side with the oppressor.’ In lieu of the situation regarding domestic violence, I have made the difficult but necessary decision to retract my project with Feroze Khan as a sign of support for victims of domestic abuse. I support Aliza Sultan for seeking justice, more strength and power to you,” she wrote. The duo were costars in Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3.

Their current project, of which Aziz has opted out, is reportedly a Geo production.

Actor Hussain also made his stance on the matter public, mentioning the cycle of abuse and what a healthy relationship dynamic is like. “Alhamdulillah, I love my wife and children very much. If I raise a hand on my wife, there is a 90 per cent chance of my son doing the same tomorrow. While it is normal for spouses to fight, it is not normal for them to beat each other like animals.

He added that he is against domestic abuse — it doesn’t matter if it is at the hands of a superstar or a regular person. Making a prayer for Sultan, he said, “I support Aliza and her family. May Allah take away these burdens and bring peace into their lives soon. Amen.”

Photos of Sultan with bruises started circulating on social media on Tuesday along with her emergency room and MLO reports. They were among the documents her legal team submitted to a District East Family Court as well as a report from the Accident and Emergency Department at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre documenting a complaint of assault in November 2020, mentioning “blunt injuries on both arms, [the] back, chest and face”. A “minor nosebleed” was also recorded. The provisional diagnosis read that it was an “assault”.

This caused a stir online as celebrities started to condemn domestic abuse openly. Stars from the entertainment industry such as Mariyam Nafees, Asim Azhar, Osman Khalid Butt, Mansha Pasha, Shae Gill, Ushna Shah, Minal and Aiman Khan and Usman Mukhtar rallied behind Sultan en masse, offering their full support.

Khan released a statement on Tuesday night, denying all abuse allegations levied against him. Calling them “baseless, malicious and untruthful”, he said as a believer of human rights, he has “never knowingly hurt another human being”.

The family court is hearing two cases — one filed by Khan for custody of their two children and another filed by Sultan for maintenance money for the children. The next hearing of the case is on November 1.

The former couple announced their intention to divorce last month, adding that they are in the middle of court proceedings discussing custody and visitation rights for their two children. Sultan had said she was physically and psychologically abused by her former partner during their marriage. Khan refused to comment.