“It was very very scary because I had to file an FIR"
Anoushey Ashraf opened up about her experience with a stalker on Ali Gul Pir’s podcast.
When discussing online trolls and haters, Ali mentioned that Anoushey has had a real-life stalker.
The television host opened up about her uncomfortable and rather scary experience with a stalker.
The discussion also shed light on abuse allegations by women and why men need to take responsibility for their actions.
Talking about the ordeal, she said:
“It was very very scary because I had to file an FIR (first information report) but there was no other choice.
“Here, I feel like, you just hear [about it] but it can happen to anyone.
“Somebody killed somebody, somebody got offended and threw acid at somebody or kidnapped somebody.
“Far and few but it’s not like it doesn’t happen.
“Why do we feel like it might not have happened to someone with influence?”
Emphasising that it can happen to anyone, Anoushey revealed that she told her stalker’s family after filing the FIR.
She continued: “That too, after [giving him] four chances and they were ‘very sad’.
“They were like don’t do this but I wasn’t doing it for myself.
“I could have kept a guard or since I’m from a TV channel, I could have requested security.
“I was like, he’s not going to do this to me, he will be rid of me but what if tomorrow he does the same to some other girl?”
Anoushey touched on how women are largely blamed for the harassment they experience from men.
“And they’re not able to do anything about it — they get harassed in buses, in stores, in salons.
“They can’t stand up for themselves and no one takes them seriously.
“Many of their family members blame them for getting harassed or stalked, [saying] that you smiled at them.”
Anoushey Ashraf addressed the fact that women who speak up often face victim blaming.
“And if I say this, maybe people in your show’s comment section will say when you dress like this and meet men like this, what do you [expect]?
“My case dies right there.
“They can stalk me, be a threat to my life but how is it their fault when I’m the one sitting here enticing them.
“Where do I go then?”
Both Ali and Anoushey concluded the podcast and emphasised that men have to begin to take responsibility for their actions which cause harm and distress.
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