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Resham is in the mood to forgive Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and thinks we all should too. But while there’s nothing wrong with forgiving people, Resham forgets that bad behaviour shouldn’t be rewarded. She also seems to have forgotten what actually happened.

The veteran actor, in a recent interaction with Ahmed Ali Butt, said that because Khan made Pakistan proud on numerous occasions, she “forgives him”. She also said that because he has ‘apologised’, he should be held in high regard, more so than before.

“Such a big name, not only in Pakistan but outside of it too. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has only ever made this country proud. I really admire what he did; he firstly apologised to God, then to the person he wronged, then to all of us. My respect for him has doubled,” she said. “There are few who can admit their mistakes. So we should respect and love him more than before.”

Resham’s remarks come hot on the heels of Khan being awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz and Sitara-e-Imtiaz, two of the country’s highest civil honours. Her recollection of the situation contrasts starkly with what actually happened. It also trivialises assault and exempts public figures from ever being held to account, with or without a sincere apology.

Here’s a recap of what actually happened: in January, a secretly recorded video of Khan emerged where he was seen violently beating a person in his employ over a missing “bottle”. This was followed by online backlash and an ‘apology video’ that was quickly deleted. In this, Khan attempted to downplay the severity of the incident by framing it as a disciplinary matter between a ‘mentor and his pupil’.

He later came forward with another ‘apology video’ which was also fraught with evasion and deflection. It saw him blame his former management for leaking the video, notably omitting any remorse towards his victim. He then attempted to deflect by claiming that the misplaced item (a bottle) had “holy water” blessed by his spiritual guide, which people failed to recognise the “sanctity” of.

In short, Khan’s so called “apology” painted him as a victim of a grand smear campaign rather than a perpetrator of violence.

Despite the horrific incident of violence, Khan was awarded Pakistan’s second and third highest civil honours for his contributions to the music industry.

The move sends a troubling message about the prioritisation of artistic achievements over ethical conduct. It also reinforces a culture of impunity among public figures and trivialises the seriousness of physical assault and abuse.

Resham advocating for Khan’s forgiveness raises issues about accountability, integrity, and the ethical responsibilities of public figures. While forgiveness can be a transformative force, it should be reserved for those who show genuine remorse for their actions. In Khan’s case, the absence of a sincere apology undermines the credibility of calls for forgiveness.

It’s not like Khan has faced adequate repercussions for his actions, aside from online trolling and the loss of an association with King Charles’ British Asian Trust. He continues to thrive both locally and internationally with little if any damage to his popularity.

This isn’t the first time Resham has commented on public figures deserving forgiveness — she was at the centre of a controversy herself in which people didn’t care much for her own apology.

The actor came under scrutiny in September 2022 for a littering incident which she followed up with an apology that was far more sincere than Khan’s. A video of her casually throwing plastic waste into a river while heading to Charsadda to help flood affectees drew ire online. After initially calling people out for “trolling her”, she termed it the “biggest mistake” of her career and said that she’ll try to make sure it never happens again.

But Khan warned of other secretly recorded videos of him in his second ‘apology’ video that may emerge in the future as part of an alleged attempt to defame him. And that means this may not be an isolated incident. While he vowed to not to repeat his actions, Khan alleged that his old management company — PME Entertainment — had been making videos of him without his “permission” for “who knows how long”. He didn’t comment on what he was doing in said videos.

Regardless of plots of revenge or careless mistakes, public figures also need to acknowledge and appreciate the responsibility that comes with their positions. Irrespective of one’s popularity or status, one must be held accountable for assault. They should be held doubly accountable if they failed to actually apologise.

Resham may want everyone to practice forgiveness, but she can’t absolve and forgive someone for violently assaulting their student and then claim that his half-hearted apology for being caught on camera makes him worthy of more “respect and love”.