The chief executive of one of Pakistan’s most influential newspapers has denied accusations he raped an acclaimed filmmaker, in a case that has spotlighted sexual abuse targeting men and added momentum to the country’s fledgling #MeToo movement.
Director Jamshed Mahmood Raza took to social media over the weekend to allege that Dawn newspaper’s Hameed Haroon raped him 13 years ago.
In October, Raza first described the assault publicly on Twitter but referred to the alleged perpetrator as a “powerful person in our media world”.
The allegations have again stirred controversy in the deeply conservative country, where most discussions about sex and abuse are considered taboo
Haroon — who hails from one of Pakistan’s wealthiest and most influential families — issued a fierce denial in Dawn, the country’s most popular English daily, late Monday, calling the accusations “simply untrue and intentionally fabricated”.
Filmmaker #Jami names #Dawn CEO as his rapist, #HameedHaroon denies allegations#TheNewshttps://t.co/8ZzHHtSorI
— The News (@thenews_intl) December 31, 2019
“I categorically deny the allegation of rape leveled against me,” said Haroon in a statement.
Raza later slammed Haroon’s comments, saying the statement was “nothing but a slap to all us survivors”.
Read more: Jami & Hameed Haroon Rape saga: DAWN in the cross fire
The allegations have again stirred controversy in the deeply conservative country, where most discussions about sex and abuse are considered taboo.
#HameedHaroon, CEO of one of #Pakistan’s most influential newspapers denied rape allegations leveled by filmmaker #Jami https://t.co/VGL7H2BJxp
— Arab News Pakistan (@arabnewspk) December 31, 2019
Some voices have called for accountability, while others dismissed notions of male-on-male sexual assault.
“I have a question: how can a grown man be raped by another individual? Couldn’t they have fought him off,” tweeted writer Salman Rashid.
Director Jamshed Mahmood Raza took to social media over the weekend to allege that Dawn newspaper’s Hameed Haroon raped him 13 years ago
Others disagreed.
“Rape is not only about physical power; it is about power in general. If a powerful person coerces you to have sex with them, that is rape,” wrote Nida Kirmani on Twitter.
Glad to see Dawn stating that they are launching an investigation now that the claim has officially been made publicly. I agree that it would have been difficult to do so before if official complaint had not been lodged with them. Hopefully justice will prevail. https://t.co/XwpLAbWhKe
— Nida Kirmani (@NidaKirmani) December 30, 2019
The #MeToo and #Timesup campaigns have gone global since allegations of sexual misconduct by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein were made in 2017, sparking an avalanche of accusations against other powerful men.
Read more: Stephen Sackur jolted Dawn’s CEO Hameed Haroon: reality behind ‘impartial’ media exposed
However, the movement has been slow to catch on in Pakistan, where women have fought for their rights for years in a patriarchal society where so-called “honour” killings and attacks on women remain commonplace.
Cases and allegations involving men assaulting other men have been even more rarely discussed in the country.
AFP with additional input by GVS News Desk.