Pakistan’s famous stand-up comedian Shehzad Ghias Shaikh has highly condemned the arrest of Zulfiqar, the boy who performed an indecent photoshoot in front of Quaid-e-Azam’s portrait in Islamabad.
According to the comedian, the governments that cannot deliver economically over obsess over ‘cultural wars’ as a way to appease the lowest common denominator.
While mentioning former Us president and Prime Minister Imran Khan in his post, he wrote, “Trump Governments like those of Trump, Imran Khan, and Modi, concern themselves with reviving nationalistic fervor as a way to charge their base – this protects their political support base but is highly dangerous for the country.”
Ghias shared that arresting people over asinine vague ideas of ‘obscenity’ is ridiculous. “Imran Khan himself has been shirtless in public many times, if that is Zulfi’s crime, why isn’t Imran Khan behind bars too?” asked the comedian.
He concluded the post by saying that even the Taliban have not arrested people for a photoshoot but the Tali-Khan Government in Pakistan has. It may be recalled that this month, a young model’s obscene photo shoot in front of a portrait of Quaid-e-Azam along with Islamabad Expressway took the internet by storm. The obscene photos were shot under Quaid’s motto Unity, Faith & Discipline.
It was revealed that the photo shoot was for a music video titled ‘Mystic Shayari’. The photoshoot was a tribute to the three values “Faith, Discipline, Unity that we are proud to uphold.” Many social media users along with the standup comedian condemned the act.
You know the state has failed when it starts imprisoning kids who wear different kind of clothes….. while rapists are gifted bails 👍 #freezulfi pic.twitter.com/7IErqjV8Xn
— zaakra 🏳️⚧️ (@zakrieyaa) August 24, 2021
Get your shit together @ Pakistani state/ government / whoever is in charge (I honestly don’t know) Arresting a kid? #freezulfi
— Noor Imran (@NoorImran_) August 25, 2021
HE GOT ARRESTED JUST BECAUSE OF WHAT HE WAS WEARING???
Our whole government and nation was after him because he was being himself? Rapists and molesters roam free in Pakistan but a person who just wanted to be himself got arrested! #freezulfi https://t.co/Fc5mtTyidG— Mario (@da_mario_) August 24, 2021
If men being shirtless in public is fahshi and a crime, I’m now eagerly awaiting the public ban on kabaddi, Mr. Pakistan competitions and canal swim season. #freezulfi
— Maria Amir (@Beentherella) August 24, 2021
It’s a moral failing of our society when the police focus on arresting a queer artist for wearing non-conforming clothes in public but allow rapists, harassers and abusers to roam free. #FreeZulfi
— Snober Abbasi (@snobers) August 24, 2021
Zulfi was not “arrested” per se but taken in for questioning and has gotten interim bail for now. What does he need to be on bail for? He’s not a criminal! #freezulfi still makes sense as a hashtag because we all need to fight for own individual and collective freedom, clearly! pic.twitter.com/mHldHIBF4x
— Mavra Bari (@MavraBari) August 24, 2021
