Men like Feroze Khan, who think they are ‘chosen’ ones, need to be condemned, says Zara Noor Abbas

Support continues to pour in from the Pakistani entertainment industry for Aliza Sultan. Sultan, the ex-wife of actor Feroze Khan, presented in a Karachi family court emergency room reports and photos of her bruises as proof of abuse in a case regarding the custody of her two children with Khan. The most recent stars to show support are Asad Siddiqui, Mawra Hocane and Zara Noor Abbas, Khan’s co-star from telefilm Dil Tera Hogaya, who all sent love and prayers for Sultan and her kids.

On Wednesday, Abbas took to her Instagram stories and wrote, “Men like Feroze Khan who think that they are the ‘chosen’ ones and can do anything in the name of Allah and power need to be condemned to tell them their true place in the world and not the righteous’ character that they portray.”

She said that her heart goes out to Sultan and her kids for having to suffer through this and still trying to make her marriage work with Khan. “ [I] extend my support to her and all the women who speak up against domestic and mental violence,“ the Badshah Begum actor wrote.

Her husband, fellow actor Asad Siddiqui supported Sultan on Twitter and wrote, “Hitting women shows one’s character. It’s never acceptable. Beating women is forbidden in Islam,” with a Hadith. He extended prayers for Sultan and her children and said that justice will be served if not here then most certainly “on the day of judgement”.

Actor Mawra Hocane also tweeted in support of Sultan and said she hopes that justice is served.

Celebrities started speaking up on Tuesday when photos of Sultan with bruises started circulating on social media along with her emergency room and MLO reports. A few hours after being on the receiving end of harsh criticism from not only the entertainment fraternity but netizens, Khan released a statement of his own, denying the “baseless, malicious and untruthful allegations” against him.

Khan, in his statement, also threatened to take legal action against the people for spreading ‘rumours’. The very next day his Khuda Aur Muhabbat co-star Iqra Aziz retracted her project with Khan “as a sign of support for victims of domestic abuse”.

Sultan and Khan announced their 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.

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.