When Shafi accused a fellow singer of sexual harassment, she became the face of the movement in Pakistan. The backlash was instant and ferocious.
By Sanam Maher
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When I spoke to singer and actor Meesha Shafi in July this year, it had been six years since our first meeting. Then, Meesha had been in Karachi for a taping of Pepsi’s Battle of the Bands, where she performed and was one of the judges, and we met once she had wrapped up filming. A few months earlier, Meesha made headlines when she alleged that one of the music industry’s biggest stars, Ali Zafar, had sexually harassed her — allegations that he has always denied. She faced considerable backlash online and in the media. I wanted to know how the experience had impacted her.
