Calling me names like slut won’t stop me from practising my democratic right: Mehwish Hayat

The ‘Load Wedding’ actor called out trolls in her recent tweets

Actor Meshwish Hayat recently took to Twitter to call out social media users who trolled her for her stance on violence against women and her recent remarks on wanting to get into the world of politics. She wrote, Though I did not say anything against the govt, we live in a democracy and it’s the right of every citizen including myself to hold those in power accountable.”

She went on to add, “Calling me names like slut and wh*** won’t stop me from practising my democratic right. Just reflects on your own filthy minds." 

Hayat recently made headlines after she spoke up about patriarchal violence following the murder of Noor Mukadam. She shared that she wants to see action taken against such crimes instead of slogans and hashtags making the rounds. "Time for hashtags and slogans is over, we demand to know what the government is going to do about changing the system. Sexual and gender violence and other forms of discrimination cannot be eliminated in a society without society changing itself," the Load Wedding star penned. 

She added, "Time for women to define our own narrative. We will not be bullied into silence. We will accept no one’s definition of our life, but our own. But men also have an important role to play in sending out the message that real men do not hurt or abuse their partners."

Hayat went on to add that the laws against women abuse are there but the implementation of those laws is imperative. "Laws are there - we need to make the enforcement of them more rigorous and less traumatic for the victim. The judicial process in our country is so daunting, ineffective and outdated," the Actor in Law star continued.

She also faced public criticism after she expressed her desire to delve into the world of politics, perhaps even run for the position of prime minister some day. 

The Punjab Nahin Jaungi actor explained during a Q&A segment that she is becoming more interested in politics with time. “It is something I want to pursue as a subject,” shared Hayat. When asked by the host whether the actor would prefer to enter politics through parliament or via a political party, the Jawani Phir Nahin Ani actor said, “The intention is to help bring a positive change in the country. Time will better tell whether that happens by entering parliament or by forming my own political party.” 

Explaining how she has been inspired by the politics of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), she shared, “I'm inspired by [their] politics because they've brought about good changes and a shift in societal thinking. Imran Khan was a cricketer before [he entered politics]. If a cricketer can become prime minister then surely an actress can also become one as well."