Mehwish Hayat hits back at trolls complaining about her Tamgha-e-Imtiaz

Mehwish Hayat, who was awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz on Pakistan Day, has hit back at trolls who have been calling out the actor as non-deserving of the award.

The Punjab Nahi Jaungi actor took to social media and said, “Debate all you like whether you think I deserve the award. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. I respect that. However, I draw the line when my character is questioned. I’ve been called a tawaif, a slut, a whore & much more so often that it has stopped affecting me.”

She continued, "I never wanted to make this a gender thing but it is unfortunate that others seem to be. To suggest that I slept my way to this award is an abhorrent slur on all the hard-working women in our country. We may be part of an industry that is seen to be glamorous.”

“But it doesn’t mean that we have forsaken our morals. What gives anybody the right to drag my name into the gutter. You don’t know me! Thank you to all the supporters and also to all the haters, it has only made me stronger. Last couple weeks have been quite an eye-opener for me,” Hayat added.

The actor had been criticised in the days leading up to the ceremony as haters said she was undeserving of the civilian honour.

Earlier this week, the Load Wedding star had penned an emotional post on Instagram recalling her journey to the silver screen and said, "An eight-year-old girl went to the PTV studios holding her mother’s hand tightly. She was totally clueless about all the hustle and bustle going on around her. But she was equally fascinated by the lights, the cameras and the way in which everybody was hard at work including her mother who was an actress."