Actor discusses safety concerns, public reaction to abuse cases, and her own precautions
Actor Kinza Hashmi spoke about the fear of living in Pakistan, saying that every woman should be mindful of whom she trusted amid the growing number of news stories involving violence against women.
Kinza sat down for an interview, discussing concerns regarding personal safety and the possibility of something happening to her. Reflecting on recent incidents, she said that women cannot always rely on even those closest to them. “People don’t know that the people closest to them, who make them feel safe, can take their lives. So I would say that you should be afraid of everyone and save yourself,” Kinza said.
Further, she urged, “If you notice a small concern, then keep watching it rather than ignoring it. Women have good instincts. The problem is that women have to be afraid, and if we do speak up, an army comes after you. You can’t even support another woman or they will say the same thing should happen to you that happened to them.”
The actor clarified that much of her fear stemmed from watching the news and seeing the increasing number of cases involving violence against women in Pakistan. “I think we should be scared, especially seeing the news every day and what’s going on. When you live in this kind of country, you should be scared rather than tell people not to be and that everything will be okay,” she stated.
According to the actor, fear, in this context, can encourage vigilance. She said, “There’s no harm in having fear and being serious about it,” adding, “It’s only if you are living in the safest country that you would be able to do a meet and greet and welcome people but if you are in a place where people are throwing acid, raping women, then how won’t you be scared?”
Further, Kinza addressed the recent controversy surrounding her Leader co-star Ali Raza, after he was seen protecting Kinza from a man during an event. “It’s not Ali’s fault. When we were going there, I was already worried. I said this in a previous interview too, that I had a scary fan experience outside a shoot once so when we were on the way here, I told them I was worried and if they could be attentive,” she said.
Adding that such incidents often have a larger context, Kinza emphasised that it’s “not just about someone getting close, there is always a backstory.”
She also expressed concern over the public response to crimes against women, saying that the biggest shock is reading the comments under such a news story. “How can people have this mentality and who are they?” she questioned.
Kinza further highlighted the importance of remaining cautious on social media, explaining that she has changed her own online habits. “I don’t go out a lot. I used to put stories somewhere in a restaurant but now I post them 10 days after,” she revealed, stressing the importance of not sharing one’s live location to the public.
Kinza currently stars as Rubab in Leader, which follows the story of a strong-willed woman navigating the world of student politics amid class divisions.