Iddat verdict sets 'dangerous precedent' enabling state to legislate on private affairs: Mira Sethi

Actor Mira Sethi vehemently criticised the controversial nikah verdict that sentenced the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 7 years in prison.

Taking to Instagram, Mira Sethi denounced the verdict, stating that it establishes a perilous precedent violating individuals' privacy.

“The #iddat verdict is not just a sham verdict; it sets yet another dangerous precedent enabling the state to legislate on people’s private affairs,” her Instagram story read.

The ‘Kuch Ankahi’ actor asserted that the judgment is flawed, urging everyone to be prepared to denounce similar instances in the future.

Lashing the prevailing trend of downgrading women in politics, she called for an end to such practices.

“If you condemn the judgment today, make sure to condemn future instances of the same: when popular political parties weaponise religion to limit the participation of women in public life; when popular political parties reject, in parliament, legislation enabling bodily autonomy for all people’ when popular political parties trade in the currency of misogyny and everyone looks the other way because nobody wants a social situation in which everyone’s behaviour is culturally scripted,” she observed.

Mira stated that many women silently endure many personal problems but they are essentially part of the broader social and political issues. 

“A lot of women come into feminism from a vague but persistent frustration in their lives and find that what they thought was a personal problem is a social predicament and therefore almost always a political problem,” she concluded.