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Pakistani actors Hiba Bukhari and Arez Ahmed recently opened up about the trolling Bukhari faced during her pregnancy and their disappointment over the premature disclosure of their big news.

The actors are now proud parents of a baby daughter named Aynur.

During their appearance on Nida Yasir’s Ramazan show Shan e Suhoor, the couple reflected on the societal pressures placed on pregnant women. The Radd star fell prey to intense social media trolling when she attended the 9th HUM Awards in London. She flaunted her baby bump in a shimmery bottle green mermaid gown that garnered flak online.

Addressing the unwarranted criticism, Ahmed asked if pregnant women should stay confined to their homes. “Should the woman leave her stomach at home? What should she do? Should she stop going out? Should she stop getting pictures taken? Should she stop working? If a woman is working eight months pregnant, then that’s a big deal. She should be appreciated.”

Bukhari, who worked on dramas Radd and Jaan Nisar until the eighth month of her pregnancy, chimed in, “It’s my job, and I wanted to work. I don’t regret a single minute of the time I spent outside, at work, or with my husband on vacation. That was our last vacation together, just the two of us.”

Ahmed firmly reiterated that societal expectations should not dictate a woman’s choices. “Why should a woman live her life on your terms?” he asked. Bukhari also clarified that she had consulted her doctor before travelling and received the green light to enjoy herself.

In light of all the hate, Mira Sethi had also voiced her support for the actor on her Instagram stories. “What’s being beghairat (shameless) about getting pregnant and radiant and showing up to work? Her body, her beautiful green dress, her choice. More power to Hiba Bukhari and all the women who continue to shine and sparkle in the face of provocation,” she wrote.

When asked about how they kept their pregnancy private until it became public knowledge, Ahmed said, “People didn’t know about our wedding for the longest time either. Both of us are very private. We don’t talk about our personal lives on social media. So the news leaked from someone who was on set with me. And we were telling people in the industry because they had to manage shoot dates accordingly.”

Bukhari said she also had to inform a production house about her pregnancy because she couldn’t take on a project. Yasir told them she had heard about it through the same production house but chose to respect their privacy.

Ahmed took the opportunity to note, “It’s good that you guys had the courtesy not to disclose our big news to others, unlike some people.” While he didn’t name anyone, in September last year, Nadia Khan faced backlash for revealing Bukhari’s pregnancy on her show. She later defended herself, claiming that Ahmed had mentioned it casually on set and had not specifically asked for secrecy. Social media users criticised her for overstepping boundaries and disregarding the couple’s right to privacy.

Bukhari added, “I think that everyone assumes that because there’s ‘nothing to hide,’ it’s not a big deal if they tell. But some things are not yours to disclose. People want to tell it in their own time and in their own way. Even we had taken a picture that we decided we’d use to announce the pregnancy. But when people found out from this other source, they started observing and speculating more, and suddenly there was this chaos. I didn’t know what to say.”

Neither Bukhari nor Ahmed publicly addressed the premature announcement at the time. But it is clear that both the tendency to pry into personal matters and the undue scrutiny faced by pregnant women is unfair. Pregnancy is not an ailment, and women should have the freedom to live their lives without unnecessary interference or judgment.