Pakistani actress Urwa Hocane has spoken out against her fellow celebrities for remaining neutral after the Pahalgam terror attack, which left a number of Indian dead. On social media, she shared her frustration at the silence kept by most of the public figures indicating that it a sign of their absence of national pride and self-respect.
In a video which was shared by GalaxyLollywood, Urwa was seen saying “Agar koi aapko aapke hi ghar se nikaal raha hai toh kya aap phir bhi peace ki baat karenge?” and not only this Urwa also added, “Jab Apko ghar se nikal rahe hai and ek instance pe par jab wahi izzat aur wahi pyaar lautana pad jaata hai, to aap log turant neutral ho jaate hain, aapke paas kehne ke liye kuch nahi hota. Humein sabhi ko apni pehchaan samajhne ki zarurat hai, apne aatma-sammaan ke liye khade hone ki zarurat hai. Aur aisa kya hai jo humare paas nahi hai, jo humein kahin aur se chahiye? Agar hum kisi ke saath collaborate karte hain, kisi ke saath naam jodte hain, to hum bhi wahan value add karte hain. Isliye khud ke liye yakeen aur ichchha rakho. Jab aap kisi ek khaas jagah par hote hain, to aap ek poore desh ko represent kar rahe hote hain, ek actor ke taur par. To jab aap apne logon ko represent kar rahe hain, to chalo theek hai, aapko khud ki fikr nahi hai, aur agar aapko khud ko protect karne ki aadat nahi hai—jaise ki mujhe pata hai ki jinhein iski aadat hai, woh yeh sab nahi kar rahe hain—lekin apne logon ke saath to woh bahut clear hote hain ki kaun-si boundaries cross nahi honi chahiye. To jab aapki poori ek community ko, aapke desh ko is tarah target kiya ja raha hota hai, to aapke paas koi opinion nahi hota dene ke liye? Aur is opinion ya is shut-up call ka matlab yeh nahi hota ki aap kisi cheez ko escalate kar rahe hain, aisa kuch bhi nahi hota. Iska matlab hota hai saamne wale ko kehna ki “back off”, humare paas kuch boundaries hain, aur aap kya keh rahe hain, kya kar rahe hain, us par dhyan dein kyunki humare paas apna sammaan hai.”
A Divided Industry
While a few celebrities like Fawad Khanand Hania Aamir have come out and offered condolences or shared breaking news of the attack, most have remained quiet or adopted neutral language in their statements. Urwa’s outspoken remarks point to a widening rift in the Pakistani entertainment community between those who endorse neutrality and those who hold that silence in the face of terror is complicity.
