Saboor Aly defends window cleaner ‘joke’, says social media ‘warriors’ missed the context

Pakistani actor Saboor Aly attempted to clear the air after she and model Saheefa Jabbar came under fire for video in which the two actors make fun of a man cleaning windows.

In a now-deleted video which was posted on her account, Aly can be heard making jokes about the man along with fellow Jabbar. “His mother had better dreams for him when he left his house,” Aly can be heard saying in the video.

Another actor Affan Waheed who can also be seen in the video, seemed a little uncomfortable with the mockery and tries to deflect the situation and says the man is working hard.

Naturally social media came out in full, with many criticising the actor for making fun of a person whom she perceived to be doing a “menial” job.

The person cleaning the window was later confirmed as an associate director for the TV show Saboor was on the sets of and that he was a friend of hers.

Taking to Instagram, Aly said it was an inside joke with the assistant director and that she never made fun of the profession.

“Our back and forth commentary on each other's activities is a norm on the sets, and of course as outsiders, one wouldn't know, but at least give the other person a benefit of doubt as well before you start writing them off as being guilty,” she wrote.

The actor goes on to defend her video and says social media “warriors” were missing the context and called them out for creating this whole situation for followers, likes and engagement.

“Is this what the reporting level has come down to? Is this irresponsible, irregular, non-authentic, hearsay publishing the new 'in' thing on social?”

The actor also quoted a Quranic verse.

She further said that nowhere have we called him a window cleaner or made fun of any specific profession. “What was an inside joke with an individual, has been portrayed as an insult of the profession which was never the intention nor a fact even in the content that's still on my social media. Frankly, these are just not the values I have been brought up with,” she wrote.

Aly added, “Next time you point your finger on someone's actions or words — especially when you are looking at them in isolation and not the whole picture — think and be responsible. Don't just do it for the followers, likes, and engagement.”