Activist Muniba Mazari requests privacy in an emotional Facebook post
On Thursday evening, Mazari took to Facebook to speak out over media reports of her former spouse filing for defamation, something which has recently stirred a debate on social media. Photo: Muniba Mazari Twitter
(Web Desk) – In the aftermath of a public debate following media reports of rights activist and television celebrity Muniba Mazari being sued by her former spouse for defamation, Mazari has broken her silence over the issue taking to social media where she requested for privacy in a matter which is ‘very personal’.
On Thursday evening, Mazari took to Facebook to speak out over the issue which has recently stirred a debate on social media. “None of us is entitled to the intricate details of marital struggles…If we cannot offer them love, then the least we should offer is the freedom to maintain their privacy in this very personal matter,” she writes in her post.
The post starts by Mazari addressing not just her followers and supporters but also her critics. “If you’re reading this and you are married and happy, I wish nothing but a blissful happily ever after for you. Remember that every marriage goes through its ups and down, but as long as you hold on to respect for each other, no mountain is too high and no storm is too great.”
“If you’re reading this and you are married but unhappy and struggling, then know that I am sending all of my love and prayers your way. Remember that you are not alone, that this too is only a phase of your life and like all other phases, this too shall pass. 5 years ago, I was where you are today.”
In her post, Mazari mentions a PTV interview of hers that has been making rounds on social media, saying that it was from a time when she was emotionally exhausted and was trying to make a marriage work.
“I pray that when this phase is over for you, you too are judged, but unlike me, you are judged for all the right reasons. You are judged for being gracious, for giving your utmost to make the marriage work, and for putting your best foot forward despite screaming in agony on the inside,” she continues.
She also speaks of divorce, custody battles and the struggles of being a single parent. “Your win will come through when see your children grow up in a house with one parent, but double the love, triple the respect and four times the happiness of not waking up in a hostile environment on a daily basis.”
“Know that you are not alone, that I and countless others like me share your story. It’s going to be a rocky road of financial insecurities; perhaps you will suffer through custody cases of your child, just like I have been enduring for many years, having multiple people talk behind your back and label you are a disappointment, but remember that those people don’t even have the slightest idea of what this struggle is like. As hard as it may be, do not listen to them. They have not walked in your shoes. I have. And I want to tell you that it may seem impossible but yes, yes, yes, it does get better. That is my promise to you.”
Mazari married in 2005 and later divorced her then husband back in 2015. The couple was in a car accident in 2008, in which Mazari lost both her legs.
According to media reports, Mazari’s former husband identified as Khurram Shahzad, a former air force official has filed a defamation suit demanding Rs 10 million in damages for what he termed mental agony and injury to his repute owing to remarks made by Mazari on different occasions.
Shahzad was cited by media as claiming that Mazari had developed an interest in modeling and singing – something which was ‘against his family’s values’ and that which he ‘could not allow’. In his petition, as reported by media, he has alleged that by portraying him as a ‘selfish’ and ‘cruel’ person, Mazari was not just seeking sympathy but also ‘high rating through national and international media’.
In her emotional Facebook post, Mazari further adds: “If you are reading this and you are divorced, a single parent, but also differently abled while being in the public eye – then please come have tea with me! I would love to meet someone who can help me understand how a paraplegic can be condemned as promiscuous, or keeping your ex anonymous can be labelled as defamation.”
Mazari ends her post with: “Let us be kind to one another, starting with being kind to ourselves”.
