Actress sparks fury in Pakistan over nude photo
Source: Agencies |
December 5, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A PAKISTANI actress who posed in the nude for an Indian magazine with the initials of Pakistan's feared and powerful intelligence agency on her arm has triggered fury across the conservative nation.
Veena Malik's photo on the website of FHM India, in advance of its publication in the magazine's December issue, has been lighting up social network websites since last week.
Many anticipate a backlash, as nationalists and Islamists regularly stage rallies against anything they deem an insult to Islam or to the national honor.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars, and the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, or ISI, has been accused of sponsoring terrorist attacks inside India.
Malik has broken Pakistani religious and national taboos in the past. She is a target for conservative ire and a heroine to some Pakistani liberals.
Conservative cleric Maulana Abdul Qawi said on Aaj TV that her latest venture into controversy was a "shame for all Muslims."
In an interview with Pakistani Geo television, however, Malik said the photo was published in violation of her agreement with FHM India and she was considering legal action.
Malik acknowledged having been photographed for a "bold but not nude shot." She said the editor had promised he would cover most of the photo with the ISI initials.
The photo was intended to poke fun at the Indian fear of Pakistani spies, she told the TV station, adding: "Whatever happens (in India), people say that ISI is behind that."
Magazine editor Kabeer Sharma said Malik had given full consent for the shoot and the picture.
Zubair Khan, a 40-year-old shopkeeper, said the photo had given rival India another opportunity to insult Pakistan.
"She has earned a bad name for the entire Pakistan nation," he said.
Others questioned the authenticity of the photo. "It seems to be an Indian attempt to malign Pakistan by faking her nude pics, or she might have done it to get a cheap publicity," said housewife Lubna Khalid, 38.
Online commentator Umair Javed, however, called on Pakistanis to "make copies of the picture and bury it in your backyard. This way, our grandkids will know there were some amongst us who lived free!"
Asked by reporters whether Pakistan would "pursue the matter," Interior Minister Rehman Malik said, "First, let us see whether it is real or fake."
Malik does most of her work in India, where the entertainment sector is booming. Pakistan's is moribund.
Veena Malik's photo on the website of FHM India, in advance of its publication in the magazine's December issue, has been lighting up social network websites since last week.
Many anticipate a backlash, as nationalists and Islamists regularly stage rallies against anything they deem an insult to Islam or to the national honor.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars, and the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, or ISI, has been accused of sponsoring terrorist attacks inside India.
Malik has broken Pakistani religious and national taboos in the past. She is a target for conservative ire and a heroine to some Pakistani liberals.
Conservative cleric Maulana Abdul Qawi said on Aaj TV that her latest venture into controversy was a "shame for all Muslims."
In an interview with Pakistani Geo television, however, Malik said the photo was published in violation of her agreement with FHM India and she was considering legal action.
Malik acknowledged having been photographed for a "bold but not nude shot." She said the editor had promised he would cover most of the photo with the ISI initials.
The photo was intended to poke fun at the Indian fear of Pakistani spies, she told the TV station, adding: "Whatever happens (in India), people say that ISI is behind that."
Magazine editor Kabeer Sharma said Malik had given full consent for the shoot and the picture.
Zubair Khan, a 40-year-old shopkeeper, said the photo had given rival India another opportunity to insult Pakistan.
"She has earned a bad name for the entire Pakistan nation," he said.
Others questioned the authenticity of the photo. "It seems to be an Indian attempt to malign Pakistan by faking her nude pics, or she might have done it to get a cheap publicity," said housewife Lubna Khalid, 38.
Online commentator Umair Javed, however, called on Pakistanis to "make copies of the picture and bury it in your backyard. This way, our grandkids will know there were some amongst us who lived free!"
Asked by reporters whether Pakistan would "pursue the matter," Interior Minister Rehman Malik said, "First, let us see whether it is real or fake."
Malik does most of her work in India, where the entertainment sector is booming. Pakistan's is moribund.
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