The internet wants Ayeza Khan to read the room after tone deaf post following murder of Sana Yousaf
Ayeza Khan is drawing a lot of flak online for an ill-timed post about the perils of social media shared soon after the murder of Sana Yousaf, the 17-year-old girl who was killed in Islamabad on Monday by a man who couldn’t take no for an answer.
Sana, who had a large fan following on social media, was gunned down in her home by a man the police say she rejected multiple times.
As news broke of Sana’s murder, there were outpourings of grief online from netizens as well as celebrities, but one message from a celebrity stood out — that of Ayeza Khan.
Khan’s message was not an outpouring of grief or even a condolence. It was a note on the “pros and cons of social media”. She called on people to keep their personal details private and to “take responsibility for what we share”.
Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be a controversial statement, but that she posted this soon after a young girl with a large online following was shot dead was in bad taste. The implication is that Sana was somehow responsible for what happened to her due to a cyber-security lapse and that is simply untrue.
Khan also drew criticism for failing to post about the war on Gaza and her ‘apology’ wasn’t well received either. Her post during the recent escalation in tensions between Pakistan and India also had people shaking their heads. Safe to say, netizens weren’t all that surprised about her recent post.
They did, however, want her to read the room and realise this was not the time for posts about internet safety.
There were lots of comparisons with other far more sensible and eloquent celebrities’ posts. This user was referencing a post shared by Asim Azhar in which he wrote, “A little girl lost her life for not saying yes. So, so, so angry and frustrated at a part our society that sadly still exists.”
Another user compared Khan’s post to that of Mawra Hocane, who highlighted toxic dramas and the role they play in perpetuating bad behaviour.
Of course, people also pointed out that Khan’s ‘helpful tips’ don’t stand a chance against “a man who thinks he can do whatever he wants and get away with it”.
Some users pointed out that victim blaming was the latest in a long line of things Khan has done, including “always support[ing] the patriarchy and toxic masculinity”.
People highlighted that Khan a major star in Pakistan — she’s one of the most-followed celebrities in the country — and is essentially blaming the victim for sharing too much online.
Khan and her “lecture about social media” weren’t the only ones to come under fire — her husband Danish Taimoor and his history of playing deeply toxic characters that perpetuate violence against women were also highlighted. In fact, his latest drama Mann Mast Malang has several deeply problematic tropes, including Taimoor’s character tying up his wife to make sure she doesn’t leave him.
Given what everyone is saying online, we hope she’ll get the hint.
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