'Aik Aur Pakeezah' reveals how quickly privacy collapses in Pakistan’s digital age

The drama follows leads Pakeezah and Faraz as they become victims of cybercrime after a private video is leaked

Geo TV’s Aik Aur Pakeezah is not an easy watch, and that appears to be by design. The prime-time drama, produced by Kashf Foundation in collaboration with 7th Sky Entertainment, taps into a disturbing reality that Pakistan has encountered before, one where digital violation escalates into physical violence, and justice remains painfully fragile.

Written by Bee Gul and directed by Kashif Nisar, the drama stars Sehar Khan as Pakeezah and Nameer Khan as her fiancé Faraz, with Gohar Rasheed and Amina Ilyas in key supporting roles. At its centre is the fallout of a private video being recorded and circulated without consent, triggering a chain of events that spirals beyond the couple’s control.

The story appears to draw inspiration from a widely reported incident that took place in the Rawalpindi–Islamabad region several years ago. In that case, a young couple was subjected to prolonged abuse after being blackmailed by a man who recorded them, stripped them at gunpoint, physically assaulted them and later facilitated their gang rape. The incident sparked national outrage, leading to the arrest of the accused and public support for the victims.

Yet the case took a troubling turn when the victims later refused to identify the perpetrator, despite earlier statements and overwhelming public backing. Both denied recognising him, and the reasons behind the reversal were never made fully clear. Whether the couple was threatened, pressured or overwhelmed by the social and legal consequences remains unknown, but the episode exposed how easily even high-profile cases can collapse under fear.

Aik Aur Pakeezah reflects this uncomfortable reality by focusing less on the crime itself and more on what follows — the scrutiny, the silence and the quiet coercion that often surrounds victims. Early episodes depict public harassment, invasive filming and moral policing, highlighting how quickly bystanders become complicit once a private moment turns viral.

The drama also shows how digital crimes are frequently reframed as moral failures rather than violations of consent. While both Pakeezah and Faraz suffer consequences, the burden falls more heavily on the woman, whose character and dignity are questioned at every step. This imbalance mirrors real-world patterns, where victims are pushed into retreat while perpetrators fade into the background.

Performances remain restrained, allowing the subject matter to carry weight without unnecessary dramatics. Sehar Khan’s portrayal centres vulnerability without excess, while Nameer Khan conveys the confusion and helplessness that often accompany public exposure. The supporting cast adds texture by showing how families and institutions respond — often cautiously, sometimes defensively — when faced with scandal rather than justice.

By revisiting a reality many would rather forget, Aik Aur Pakeezah places a spotlight on the gap between public outrage and actual accountability. It suggests that the most lasting damage of such crimes is not only the violence itself, but the systems of silence that follow.