Pakistani singer and actor Ali Zafar, who is currently in the middle of a sexual harassment controversy, has found support from actress Resham and his bandmates.
Last week, singer Meesha Shafi took to Twitter to accuse Zafar of physically harassing her on multiple occasions.
Check out her tweet below:
On Geo News' programme Capital Talk, renowned film actress Resham wondered why women who were allegedly harassed by Zafar chose to stay silent.
"How can it be true that Ali Zafar harasses a woman and she doesn’t slap him back, hit him with a shoe, push him away or complain to his wife?" the actress wondered. "I have known Ali Zafar for 20 years; he is someone who gives a lot of respect to others… who gives respect to women," she said, adding that Zafar knows the difference between friendship and harassment.
Besides Resham, Zafar's bandmate Aqsa Ali also came out to support him, saying she has travelled with Zafar and seen how girls "throw themselves" at him. But Zafar has never crossed the line, she said in an Instagram post.
"Astonished that she (Shafi) would take a lie to this level which so many of us can prove wrong," she wrote. "I am a woman and I would never allow wrong to any woman. But come on , it's a serious matter and we should be really clear on everything rather then putting accusations on people and then saying sorry you cannot question any woman it’s wrong."
Another band member, Kanza Munir, also came to Zafar's aid, saying it was odd that Shafi would claim Zafar harassed her during a jam session.
In an Instagram post, Munir wrote: "I’ve been quietly observing the current situation because I am no judge of personal character be it Meesha Shafi or Ali Zafar. However, I stand witness to this particular ‘Jam’ late last year that Meesha mentions in her interview with The News. The whole house band along with myself and another fellow female vocalist were present during this session and whatever interaction took place between the two was in front of at least 10 other people. All I can say is that this particular statement that she makes here is rather odd. I have toured with the Ali Zafar band a lot of times and all my trips have been really pleasant and professional and we’ve spent hours jamming together."
During a visit to Sunway University in Kuala Lumpur
