"Is this related to the motorway incident?"
Hadiqa Kiani has responded to claims that Hadsa is based on the 2020 motorway rape.
The show depicts Taskeen (Hadiqa) who is raped while travelling with her son on a highway.
Hadsa then follows Taskeen on her emotional journey as she struggles to take hold of her life again.
The show caused controversy as many viewers felt the story was inspired by a 2020 incident where a woman was travelling on a motorway towards Lahore with her two children when her car ran out of petrol and she became stranded.
While waiting for help, two men raped her in front of her children.
Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali Bagga were later sentenced to death for the crime.
The victim called for Hadsa to be taken off air. On behalf of journalist Fereeha Idrees, the victim said:
“They have made a drama on my life. As if I am nothing, no one asked me, it’s the same, they are showing the same things, oh my God!
“I haven’t slept a wink since I saw this terrible horrendous depiction of the most terrible moments of my life which I so want to forget.
“Why are they doing this to me?”
The victim went on to say that this was a form of harassment and she was alive for the sake of her children.
Fereeha took to social media and called out the show’s team for being unsympathetic.
Many followers came out in support of the victim and agreed that the drama should be taken off air.
One netizen wrote: “It needs to stop immediately and Geo needs to publicly apologise, and the actors, producer, writer, everyone!”
Hadiqa Kiani has reacted to the controversy and insisted that Hadsa is not based on the real-life rape.
She said:
“To know that something I have been part of is being used to hurt and trigger a survivor is something I cannot stand for.”
“When I was asked to do the role of Taskeen for Hadsa, my first inquiry was, ‘Is this related to the motorway incident? Is this the project, and if so, whose narrative is it based on?’
“My direct response from the project’s team was no.
“I only realised that Hadsa was unrelated to or based on the 2020 motorway tale after reading the script and having several talks with the production crew.”
Hadiqa added that it is traumatic for a rape story to be portrayed on TV and episodes touching on such sensitive topics should come with a trigger warning.
“I am not in a position to advise survivors on how to react, all I can suggest and hope for is that we advance the discussion about this evil and that we can all take steps to empower and protect survivors.”
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