This Is What Humayun Saeed Has To Say To LSA Controversy

Expressing displeasure over this protest, several celebrities have come out to criticise those boycotting LSA nominations.

Lahore (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 27th April, 2019) The nominations for the 18th LSA 2019 were announced recently.

However, the annual awards show has been marred with controversy after several celebrities, including Meesha Shafi, opted out of participating in the award ceremony for Ali Zafar, alleged of sexual harassment by Meesha, has also been nominated for the award.

Expressing displeasure over this protest, several celebrities have come out to criticise those boycotting LSA nominations.

Veteran actor Humayun Saeed has also joined the celebrities who are condemning the people pulling out of LSA nominations.

In his statement posted on social media, Humayun Saeed said that the Lux Style Awards have been recognising a diverse range of artists for nearly two decades.

“Any dispute regarding nominations shouldn't take away from the fact that it's the country's only platform to have managed to acknowledge so many incredibly talented Pakistanis for such a long time, thereby making it imperative that it continues to do so in the future as well,” he said.

Model Eman Suleman was the first to turn down her LSA nomination expressing how she did not wish to be nominated alongside an alleged harasser.

This followed boycotts by more fashion brands and celebrities, including Generation, makeup artist Saima Bargfrede, filmmaker Jami, model Rubbab Ali, singer Meesha Shafi, folk rock band The Sketches, designer Maheen Khan and makeup artist Fatima Nasir.

Singer Meesha Shafi, whose song ‘Mein’ was nominated for the best song, demanded that her name and work be removed from the list of nominees given the current circumstances.

Meesha Shafi had alleged her colleague Ali Zafar of sexual harassment in a tweet in June, 2018.

Meesha had then filed a complaint against Ali Zafar under the Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010 while Ali Zafar had also sent a legal notice to co-artist Meesha Shafi for her allegations.

The Teefa in Trouble star had filed a defamation suit in a court in Lahore through his lawyer, asking for an apology from Meesha Shafi for levelling baseless allegations and pay Rs1 billion in damages.

The case is currently under proceeding.

The film jury of the Lux Style Awards 2019 also issued a statement in this regard.

“Our sense of entitlement to quickly judge anyone and jump to conclusions worrisome specially in this age of social media. A platform that has made it too easy for some to become a part of a controversy or join a band wagon and become famous over night and potentially ruin anyone's life or body of work in minutes. Fame and respect should be earned with hard work in time not by childish walk outs and social media posts playing judge, jury and executioner,” the statement read.

After this statement started a new debate, Iman Ali came up with a clarification.

“Over the past 18 years, the Lux Style Awards have been nurturing Pakistani excellence in fashion, films, music and drama. Over these two decades, the Lux Style Awards nominations have been decided by an unbiased, independent and transparent jury of industry peers and critics...In 2019, the Lux Style Awards have been surrounded by dialog around nominees involved in a matter of alleged sexual harassment,” she said.

“The Film Jury of the Lux Style Awards appreciates the sensitivity of the subject and recognizes the intensity of public sentiment Nevertheless, it is also important to respect that the case is being decided by Pakistan's judicial system. We have complete faith in the law of the land and believe that justice will prevail,” she added.