Zara Khan (L) and Zoya Khan (R). PHOTO: ZOYA KHAN
KARACHI : Zoya Khan, 19, and her 15-year-old sister Zara Khan beat up a man after he groped one of them on Karachi’s Tariq Road when returning from a shopping trip.
Sexual harassment in public places is fairly common but the way the sisters taught their harasser a lesson is definitely one-of-a-kind.
“This is not the first time this has happened,” Zoya tells The Express Tribune. “But this is the first time I decided to post about this on social media. I decided why should I take this anymore?”
When groped, Zoya said she started screaming but was unable to do anything as she was carrying a number of shopping bags in her hand. But her younger sister, Zara, “threw everything and ran after the man”.
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When Zoya followed her younger sister to where the man was, she was met with shock and surprise. There was a crowd of more than 30 people surrounding the molester – her sister was in the middle as she “held him by his collar smacking his face and punching his stomach”.
Later when Zoya asked Zara what prompted her to run after him she said, “You’re my sister. Why should I stand around and watch while someone does that to you?”
Speaking about her younger sister, Zoya says she’s really glad her sister had the courage to chase after him.
The response from their loved ones has been fantastic, Zoya says. She’s saying their father was a little concerned in the beginning but he has been extremely supportive and proud that his daughters are speaking up about what happened to them. Zoya also adds that she has been receiving calls and messages from friends and family making sure both the sisters are okay and applauding what they’ve done.
The conversation soon turned to the viral nature of the video. Zoya tells The Express Tribune that she is ‘definitely overwhelmed’ by the response. “I never thought it would get so much attention,” she says.
Of course there have been both negative and positive comments. She says someone commented on the video calling her a prostitute, which confused her. “How am I a prostitute? I’m the victim here.”
The positive comments far outweigh the negatives however, as strangers applaud both the girls calling them brave and inspirational.
Zoya ends the video by giving a message to all the women of Pakistan. “I know this happens to everyone. All of us at some point have been groped or harassed on the streets. The thing is you have to fight back. If you don’t fight for yourselves, no one will fight for you.”
Salute to these brave girls. Do not let, culture, taboos bog you down. Take a lead, have courage & knock them down. Allah is with you. Do not care about negative comments, there are people who have a dirty & negative mind, damn them. If you do not stand for your own safety & respect, no one will….this is a cruel world. So, be brave & only seek Allah`s help. Recommend
Good .. You did great job .. he deserve more than that..Recommend
Brave girls. Keep it up!Recommend
If all the girls would decide to do the same, I promise nobody would dare to harras any girl.
BEST OF LUCK, You both are an example of awaking nation. Recommend
It’s the entire country that needs a change in the mind set, what is considered as harassment and lies is a norm in Pakistan. If such brave steps are taken by women and the culprits are taken to justice in a court of law the era will not be far to achieve status of a civilized country. Bravo girls do it over and over again to teach what our cleric and school failed to do.Recommend
Well done girls great Job.. Keep it up. I proud of youRecommend
Well done to the young girls.! This harasser should have been punished badly by these girlsRecommend
Hats off to you girls, only a few examples need to be set and these cowards will find hard to even leave their homes.Recommend
Well done my sisters.each girl should be as brave as you are.you did a great job.may ALLAH protect you.Recommend
Good job girls!
Such losers should be shown their place. Recommend
Well done my sisters.each girl should be as brave as you are.you did a great job.may ALLAH protect you.Recommend
May Allah give me so much courage as well! Awesome!Recommend
Will you marry me? #wannamarrythatkindagirl … Offcourse I don’t mean it that way and I realise you are too young for that… Recommend
Bravo girls!! I must say that every girl should have to take action about sexual harassment because nowadays this is common but we girls don’t have to get scared or think about others who comments bad on you.. be brave and take action about it.Recommend
Carry a gun and shoot the SOB next time.Recommend
That’s the spirit hats off girls, you are the inspiration for others.Recommend
This is the real change in Pakistan, not the one that a cricketer-turned-politician boasts day & night.
Brave girls need to defend themselves and give harassers a lesson rather than dancing on the Container at D-chowk.Recommend
I am very happy to read about courageous girls. Everyone must appreciate and all other girls take inspiration not to submit against groping and cheap acts.Recommend
Well done girls, May Allah bless you, and the person who called you names, shows his mentalilty about every girl, he should also be beaten, TARBIYAT KI BAAT HAI SUB!Recommend
“Great ! Bravo Girls.”Recommend
Good Job Girls, same courage required…Recommend
welcome that courg,s others girls we should supportRecommend
Karachi’s own Geeta and Babita!Recommend
Success is not final, failure is not fatal. it is the courage to continue that counts, Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage in your life.Recommend
Can it be aired through all tv channels and flashed in newspapers that from now onward all women and girls teased alike will 1st beat the man or men and then hand him or they over to the police. Additionally, if the beating is recorded then it must be publicised through utube as well. The 2 sisters have taken the lead and I wish that the flame they lit must not die out otherwise lafangas will never ever stop teasing chasing and even touching girls. Iqbal Hadi ZaidiRecommend
Brave action. Time has come that every man and woman should to start martial training in order to face present law & order situation.Recommend
Great! Should have kicked him in the nuts real hard!Recommend
this model needs to be emulated everywhere in Pakistan.
Every girl needs to emulate what these girls did.Recommend
prostitute?
now imagine the upbringing these person must have had to think that
feel sorry for his mother and sisters especially cousin sistersRecommend
Very good girls.
That’s a big issue. She is right, most girls do not report such cases even if they have any family male with them at the time of the incident. They think these thugs may hurt their brothers/dad etc.
Tariq Road is notorious for this, my female cousins always take some male family member with them just because of these things. Recommend
Sad to see how people appreciating someone taking law in their hands. In a country where we blame everything on the system and wish to accomplish all by dodging it.
This action can never be justified. 1 Million Dislikes!!!!Recommend