‘Pick a side’: Urwa Hocane slams ‘neutral’ Pakistani celebrities

ISLAMABAD: Actor-producer Urwa Hocane did not mince her words as she questioned the ‘neutral’ stance of fellow Pakistani celebrities towards the ongoing political tension between India and Pakistan, following the Pahalgam attack.

In her latest video on social media, Urwa Hocane shared her two cents on the ongoing India-Pakistan crisis as she urged her fellow actors and celebrities to ‘reclaim their self-respect’ and pick a clear side, rather than still maintaining a neutral stance.

For the unversed, the political tensions between the neighbouring countries worsened since last month’s terror attack in Pahalgam, which left 26, including tourists, dead. India blamed Pakistan for the attack, and despite denying the allegations, it has not only stopped the release of Fawad Khan’s comeback movie ‘Abir Gulaal’, but all the leading Pakistani news and entertainment YouTube channels as well as celebrities’ social media accounts have also been banned across the border.

Hocane reacted to the development in a new video post and shared that she was initially contemplative about recording this statement, in order to avoid the beating of her own colleagues.

Without taking any particular names, Hocane hinted in her message that ‘self-respect should always come first’. “I’m all for collaborating internationally and doing international projects, it’s all well and good that you make your country proud,” she said and urged, “But when there is a test, you must pick a side. You can’t say, ‘let’s deal with this with kindness and peace’.”

Read more: Mawra Hocane Balances Acting and Legal Career

“Yes, we’re all for peace and kindness, but if someone kicks you out of their house first and mistreats you…?” questioned the ‘Amanat’ actor and added that India has done this to Pakistani celebrities countless times.

Hocane urged her fellows to give up on their neutral stance and have some self-respect to stand by their country’s side. “Because there is no bigger loss than that of respect, and no benefit means anything before that. Everything you are is because of your country and its people. You have a name because of them, and if at one instance you have to return that respect, you immediately become neutral and have nothing to say,” she wondered. “This is a strange situation. We all know what’s happening, we need to recognise our individuality, and stand up for our self-respect.”

Concluding her note, she emphasised, “Have faith in yourself also. Yes, be grateful, be thankful, be respectful, but if someone is crossing your boundaries, then show them their place. We practice this in our normal lives, so why do we forget?”