A Twitter thread is gaining momentum where social media users share their memorable interactions with celebrities. Journalist Sabahat Zakariya joined in, sharing an anecdote about witnessing sexist behavior at a Junoon concert by former lead singer Ali Azmat. Sabahat wrote that during a concert held at a college, she recalled the ‘Sayonee’ singer coming up to her and asking “Are there any pretty girls out there?”
“Helped arrange a Junoon concert at college. Was backstage a few minutes before it started when Ai Azmat asked me, ‘Are there any pretty girls out there?’ Didn’t know what to say, so a bit flabbergasted I said, ‘Waisi hee hayn jaisi saari larkiyaan hotee hayn…jaisi mayn hoon, jaisi hoti hayn’, and left. After the concert he walks up to me and says, ‘You were right, there weren’t any pretty girls out there.’”
Several Twitter users expressed outrage at such sexist behavior by Ali Azmat, while another user shared how the singer had behaved at a school concert.
“At least he deigned to speak to you. My society arranged a concert for him and he drunkenly came on stage, performed his set and staggered away not even trying to speak to the organisers who were waiting for him.”
Responding to the original thread, a transgender activist said she had witnessed celebrities like Mahira Khan, Yasir Hussain blocking a protest held for the kidnapping of an elderly Khwaja Sira person in 2020.
“When we were protesting for the kidnapping of an elderly Khwaja Sira person outside press club back in 2020 and these celebrities including Mahira Khan Yasir Hussain and even Sheema Kirmani accompanying them showed up, started their own protest 10 metres away from us over the motorway case, something that had been protested for at the same location just two days before that , told the lemonade vendor to move his cart out of their sight for a better photo frame for their PR stunt, told us we needed to wrap up and go home because it was their turn, took away all the media attention from our protest and blasted their protest on loud speakers while we were just there barehands without any microphones or equipment. It was disgusting and they never apologized for it even after we confronted them.”
