“there are barely any women unaccompanied”

Agha Ali spoke about women’s safety in Pakistan and revealed what he wants to see in society.

Appearing on a podcast with his wife Hina Altaf, he spoke about his own travel experiences and the perceptions he made along the way.

He told host Syed Ali that the contrast between Pakistan and other countries was very noticeable in the sense that women had the ability to travel unaided but Pakistani women were deprived of this feeling.

The actor claimed that women did not feel safe when they were out alone in the country.

This is contradictory to the belief that the nation is a safe and conservative one.

He announced that he would love to see a positive change in his country in which women were made to feel safer and more confident in travelling alone.

Agha said: “We [Pakistanis] are very religious, protective [and] conservative.

“Talk to any man about this and he’ll give you an entire speech on women’s rights but try looking around in Pakistan, there are barely any women unaccompanied on the roads.

“I am not talking about after midnight, I am talking about during the day.

“You will never see a woman walking in a market, walking from one work to another or going home. Even if you do then she’ll be so scared.”

Citing a recent trip to London, Agha Ali said that he and his wife noticed many women walking alone or with female friends.

But if this were to happen in Pakistan, eyebrows would be raised.

The actor directed a query towards the apparent claimants of women protectors, asking why women did not feel shielded if they were genuinely safe in the country.

Although Agha made some valid points, it cannot be said that every Pakistani woman avoids travelling alone.

Many women opt to walk out their doors freely for a number of reasons. This includes work, shopping or a general outing.

Pakistan may seem a little conservative in comparison to other places, but on a daily basis, the observer will witness women out and about, whether it’s on the school run or buying things for their families.

In conclusion to Agha Ali’s statement, yes it is true that it would be nice to see more women walking freely on the streets of Pakistan, but it cannot be stated as a fact that there are no women going about their daily business with a male family member by their side.