Recently journalist and cultural critic Nadeem Farooq Paracha kept on referring to Shaniera Akram as ‘Wasim Akram’s wife’ at the Islamabad Literature Festival 2019. To which, someone from the crowd called him out, that she has a name and her own identity.
Now Pakistan’s favorite ‘Bhabi’ Shaniera Akram herself is calling out the journalist.
At the Islamabad Literature Festival 2019, Nadeem Farooq Paracha was speaking about one of Shaniera Akram and George Fulton’s ‘Urdu challenge‘ and forgot Shaniera’s name. The journalist was part of a panel discussion between Fasi Zaka, Ali Aftab Saeed, George Fulton and himself.
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When the audience called him out with:
“She has a name! Shaniera!”
Nadeem Farooq Paracha still didn’t learn and repeatedly referred to Shaniera as ‘Wasim Akram’s wife‘.
@aliaftabsaeed @fasi_zaka @NadeemfParacha @GeorgeFulton1 hilarious and lovely panel #ilf2019 pic.twitter.com/fKnaA74nmp
— Nilofer Afridi Qazi (@ninoqazi) September 29, 2019
Now that the video clip of the whole ordeal is making rounds on the Internet, Shaniera Akram made light of the whole thing.
“Who is this amazing woman? #SheHasAName You go girl!”
Who is this amazing woman. I just love you #SheHasAName You go Girl 👏🏼💪🤗 https://t.co/4KHd1qDewE
— Shaniera Akram (@iamShaniera) September 30, 2019
Things didn’t stop there. Someone still made a snippy comment on how Shaniera isn’t a ‘celebrity’. Shaniera Akram also responded to this by schooling the Twitter user on the ethics of a literary platform.
“If you are talking about someone on stage at a literacy festival you should at least give them the dignity of a name. I am not a celebrity but I have earned my name, thank you very much.”
If you are talking about someone on stage at a literacy festival you should at least give them the dignity of a name. And I am not a celebrity but I have earned my name, thank you very much https://t.co/pCNz7CGBQL
— Shaniera Akram (@iamShaniera) September 30, 2019
While Nadeem Farooq Paracha was fine being seated on a panel with a ‘Desi George’, that attitude towards a our own ‘Bhabi’ was rude.
absolutely correct and also from someone who claims to be shining knight of liberal enlightenment
— yousuf qureshi (@qyousuf) October 1, 2019
Shaniera Says Pakistani Women Deserve Better
She explained that while she has no qualms with being our favourite Bhabi, Pakistani women are tired of this. They have their own identity and would like brown men to see that.
I am very proud of being Wasims wife & if Nadeem forgot my name that’s his business.Unfortunately Nadeem hit a sore spot as majority of women in Pakistan are constantly identified by their husbands & fathers & quite frankly we are sick of it, it’s a sign of the past #SheHasAName https://t.co/EfXVYUvs8w
— Shaniera Akram (@iamShaniera) October 3, 2019
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Shaniera Akram is Alarmed By How Dangerous Clifton Beach Has Become
Shaniera is right to say that she earned her platform on her own, and she’s more than just Wasim Akram’s wife.
https://twitter.com/thenatcour/status/1175356251670220800
Not once did they complain nor played the blame game. Unidentified Medical waste washed up on their beach & they got to work, not only working around the clock cleaning up dangerous waste but also raised the bar & showed Karachi the way cleaners should be protectively uniformed https://t.co/v4h2iJM082
— Shaniera Akram (@iamShaniera) September 6, 2019
Every parent needs to ask themselves 3 things a hundred times a day. 1) where is my child 2) who is my child with, and 3) is my child 100% safe. If you think a hundred times is too much, then don’t become a parent! #StopChildAbuse #ParentsCanPrevent #ProtectionIsPrevention https://t.co/PTjyV8vMct
— Shaniera Akram (@iamShaniera) September 2, 2019
