Aap ki Izzat is a famous Pakistani drama series that gained massive popularity, along with public and critical acclaim, during its initial run. The drama depicts a husband cheating on his beloved wife, Beena, and marrying his new love interest as a second wife. This forces Beena to seek revenge against her husband, leading her to cheat on him with a Pakhtun vegetable seller who is portrayed as fraudulent and a scammer. The drama is written by Umera Ahmed, directed by Saifi Hasan, and produced by Momina Duraid.
Aap Ki Izzat is now facing severe public backlash for showing the Pakhtun vegetable seller in a negative light, as he attempts to exploit Beena for his own benefit. Furthermore, his portrayal was deemed highly objectionable, showing him wearing a shalwar with a shawl and no kameez underneath. Additionally, his wife, who has multiple children, was shown wearing clothes held together by patches of cloth.
The Pashtun community is deeply upset with the Aap Ki Izzat makers, including writers Umera Ahmed and Saif, as well as director Saifi Hasan, for depicting the Pakhtun community in a highly negative light and demeaning them through this portrayal.
The post was shared by Pashtun Pakhtoon Facebook page. The Admin wrote, “Showing the Pashtun character in the drama serial “Aap Ki Izzat” as a vegetable seller, greedy for money, wearing shalwar and a shawl without a shirt, while portraying his wife and children as symbols of poverty through torn slippers and patched burqas, is a misrepresentation of Pashtun culture. In the drama, the Pashtun man is shown as a deceitful, greedy person who runs away with another man’s woman and kills her, whereas in our society, the honor and sanctity of women are given great importance. Such negative and unrealistic representation presents a false image of Pashtun society and culture. Pakistani dramas often portray Pashtuns as uncivilized, deceitful, and kidnappers. Through these dramas, hatred against Pashtuns is created in people’s hearts. Rarely have we seen a drama in which Pashtuns are portrayed as good, educated, and positive characters. This seems to be part of a policy by the media under military control to deliberately promote such dramas.
The admin added, “The director of this drama is the same person who made the drama “Ehd-e-Wafa” in collaboration with ISPR, which was made regarding the Pakistan Army. Pashtun society is known for honor, self-respect, loyalty, hospitality, bravery, traditions, and the sanctity of family. Our clear demand is that the production house should provide an explanation regarding this character and these scenes, make appropriate corrections, and consult cultural experts for the representation of Pashtun culture in the future. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority should also take notice of this matter and ensure respect for the dignity and culture of all nations.
Social media users, especially the Pashtun community, are enraged with Umera Ahmed, Saife Hassan, and Momina Duraid and have demanded legal action against them. One wrote, “There should be a legal case against the writer, producer, and director of this show.” Another wrote, “The writer has represented her household and nothing else.” Another wrote, “It’s not just about today; the Pakistani drama industry has always been against the Pakhtoons.” One wrote, “It’s not their mistake; they led a complex and miserable life in India back then before partition.” One wrote, “They should remember Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, Jansher Khan, and Imran Khan, the only captain in cricket who got us the World Cup.” One wrote, “If you go down, they have been doing the character assassination of Pashtuns for 75 years.” Read the comments:
