Junaid Akram, the comedian and YouTuber that everyone loves to hate, has just been accused of sexual harassment. Certain media outlets are naming him after Twitter became flooded with cryptic tweets leading people to play the guessing game over who the accused could be.
The issue started when a tweet posted by Rabia Annum, of Geo News, went viral.
So Several Young Girls are speaking out against the Sexual harassment attempts by a Known Social media Guy and a Comedian. He not only lied to a dozen girls but now also pressurising them to stay quiet. Some of the girls have reached out to me for help.
Kya karna chahye?— Rabia Anum Obaid (@RabiaAnumm) October 9, 2018
Adding to this. Almost every girl has proofs against him but they are too scared to go public because “Log Kya kahengay”
— Rabia Anum Obaid (@RabiaAnumm) October 9, 2018
The tweets were alluding to a ‘popular Pakistani comedian,’ who is allegedly responsible for sexual harassment of several girls. The girls have yet to come forward with their allegations, but as you can imagine, this smoking gun of a statement was enough to get people interested and furious.
Especially with her latest statements, the plot seems to be thickening.
The rest of Twitter world jumped at the insinuation and have not stopped demanding answers since.
Suffice to say, Junaid has been the central name to be guessed since the tweets and rumors spread.
Someone out Junaid Akram pls. Pretty sure he messages a lot of girls and is an A-grade fuckboy.
— zoob (@cantcreative) October 8, 2018
She is talking about Junaid Akram. About time we name and shame people, parosi mulk se kuch seekh len hum yahan. https://t.co/E3ZZlbmlrZ
— Sidra Aziz (@NamkeenJalebi) October 9, 2018
She is talking about Junaid Akram. About time we name and shame people, parosi mulk se kuch seekh len hum yahan. https://t.co/E3ZZlbmlrZ
— Sidra Aziz (@NamkeenJalebi) October 9, 2018
Many have been supportive of the unknown victims and are encouraging them to voice their stories.
You must name him and put it out there. Look what happened in India in the past few days. Numbers have powers. #timesup for bad behaviour.
— Alia Chughtai (@AliaChughtai) October 9, 2018
Help them! Give them a platform. Connect them with a lawyer. Use your resources, connections and position to support them in getting justice.
— Nida Kirmani (@nidkirm) October 9, 2018
Yes it is necessary to name such perverts so that everyone should know their real face. But won’t that lead to mob justice. Do we want mob justice in Pakistan. Name them so that public should know & file the case so that state can punish him accordingly.
— Farhan Mujeeb (@farhanmujeebk) October 9, 2018
In order to gain a complete understanding of the situation, we tried to reach out to the girls who were allegedly harassed in order to hear their take on the story.
Rabia, the initial poster of the tweets, also redirected saying that the girls were put in touch with the appropriate platforms to speak and consult with.
Social Media Justice that doesn’t ever help the victims would be the last thing I would want in this very sensitive matter.
Victims reached out to me before n after my tweet hav been sent to Proper Platforms who are working with the Proofs and evidences provided by girls.— Rabia Anum Obaid (@RabiaAnumm) October 10, 2018
Akram was also reached for a statement of his own, he denied the allegations as “utterly untrue” in the following words:
“Thank you, MangoBaaz for having the decency to reach out. It has been naturally very distressing to see these unfortunate allegations arising, especially in light of the fact that they are utterly untrue. However, I have no control over what people say on the social media. Nonetheless, I am consulting with appropriate professionals as to what legal options I have available to me to protect my name, and rest assured, I will pursue them to the best of my ability until it’s logical conclusion.”
With the #MeToo movement taking over the world and exposing the prevalence of sexual harassment all over the world, it is important to listen to victims who come forward narrating their stories. A safe space that allows victims to speak their truth is extremely important in a society that has long indulged in victim-blaming. At the same time, it’s also important to understand that as third parties, not involved in the matter, observers need not lynch anyone. Harassers who’re proven to disregard women’s safety and have shown deviant behavior should be held accountable because it’s been a long time coming.
This is a developing story.
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Cover photo source: dawn.com