Six times women were harassed at concerts in Pakistan

Remember when Atif stopped a concert to rescue a woman? Sonu Nigam did that years before while performing in Karachi

KARACHI: Whether women let harassment incidents in public spaces slide as a risk inherent in attending at such an event or bravely speak out, the question remains: what can be done to make concerts safer for them?

Here's a rough timeline of harassment at concerts:

Late 1980s

Jupiters concert in Karachi

Ali Azmat was performing as the frontman of Jupiters at a ground opposite the Delhi Colony area in Karachi. Men jumped over the audience divider and started harassing women.

2002

Junaid Jamshed in Karachi

Junaid Jamshed was performing at a posh hotel in Karachi. Some men reportedly tried to force themselves on women, leading to multiple injuries and police intervention.

2004

Sonu Nigam in Karachi

Sonu Nigam had initially decided not to perform after a person died in a bomb blast. He then went on stage and later called out men who were groping women. He even threatened to leave the show halfway.

2017

Atif Aslam in IBA, Karachi

Singer Atif Aslam was compelled to stop a live performance midway when he spotted a girl being eve-teased at IBA Karachi. He then ensured that the girl was taken to safety.

2019 – April 17

Solis festival Lahore

Lila Khan took to social media to share her horrific story of harassment that started at the security check and left her traumatised. She claimed to have been molested along with her sister.

2019 – April 21

Multiple artists at F9 Park Islamabad

Atif Aslam, Gul Panra and Aima Baig were performing at the F9 Park in Islamabad. Men and boys started pushing towards the pit where only women were standing. It got so bad that Atif had to call security.

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