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Actor Sanam Saeed has raised concerns about so-called pro-Palestine consumers letting pro-Israeli brands creep back into their lives.

In a story on Instagram, the Kafeel star questioned what people really stand for, considering that the aim of boycotting brands endorsing Israeli actions was not just to create a statement, but also to keep these brands from funding Israeli actions in Gaza.

“I’m just curious…how can one be pro-Palestine and condemn Israel on one hand but then endorse boycotted brands, buy boycotted brands etc,” she pondered.

“Some of the brands are even under intense public scrutiny for being unethical. Local replacements is what we were aiming for other brands,” she said, appalled at the seamless re-entry of foreign boycotted brands in people’s lives.

“So why are we blatantly letting them back into our narrative?” she asked.

In 2023, Zara, the Spanish fashion retailer, faced intense social media backlash due to its campaign, titled The Jacket, which was part of its Atelier series, showcasing model Kristen McMenamy holding a mannequin draped in white fabric, which resembled the shrouded bodies of victims of Israel’s indiscriminate war on Gaza. After this, entrepreneur and designer Samira Atash also called for a boycott of Zara over the campaign.

In the same year, when hundreds of people across Pakistan were asked about their reaction to the latest call to boycott western products in protest after Israel started bombing civilians following the Oct 7 attacks, close to 80 per cent of consumers agreed with the motive of the campaign and supported the boycott call, while almost 70pc had practically started participating in the campaign, quitting the use of several multinational and western brands.

Since the wave of boycotting pro-Israeli brands entered the market, several local brands emerged with replacements for crowd favourites. From your favourite cola to your late-night Zinger burger meals, local brands like Kababjees were seen replacing household favourites.

It wasn’t just products — music platforms such as Coke Studio Pakistan also took a hit after releasing a season post October 7. On one hand, some argued that Coke Studio and the many Pakistanis behind it shouldn’t suffer the consequences of a global boycott when it is inherently a Pakistani entity, while others said that boycotting in solidarity with Palestine should be enough of a reason to boycott the platform, other brands being boycotted in Pakistan also employ Pakistanis, after all.