Lahore college drops session with Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar after students' backlash

LAHORE: The famed Kinnaird College For Women called off an interactive session with TV drama writer Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar — someone who claims to be "the biggest feminist of Pakistan" — after a severe backlash from its students, according to local reports.

The backlash came from the all-girls college's current students as well as its alumni over the playwright's controversial opinions on women which kicked up a storm on social media a few days ago. 

The college's Centre for Learning and Cultural Development had scheduled the event for Wednesday, January 22, 2020, at 11AM but dropped it after the criticism. Apart from Qamar, director Agha Jarar was also among the guests invited for the talk.

Further, a local media outlet quoted an unnamed faculty member as saying the university "has been working on women empowerment for a 100 years, we can't let someone with such views conduct sessions".

Many social media users commended Kinnaird College, saying the move was "behtareen [most excellent]" and "nicely done". "Keep calling him out until he realises it and apologises for his misogyny, and until it starts showing that he has changed," another said.

Also read: Tahira Abdullah schools Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar on women's rights, feminism

Mere Paas Tum Ho, penned by Qamar, features Ayeza Khan, Humayun Saeed and Adnan Siddiqui in the lead roles. The plot focuses on a wife who leaves her husband for an affluent businessman. Some observers criticised Qamar's offensive remarks towards women in various TV interviews. A dialogue from the drama serial also became controversial as some were of the view that it was offensive towards women. 

In fact, a woman had moved Lahore’s civil court a day earlier, filing a plea to halt Mere Paas Tum Ho's last episode — set to be aired in cinemas on January 25, 2020 — stating that it portrayed women in a negative light in the society. 

Read more: Petition filed against 'Mere Paas Tum Ho’s last episode in Lahore court

Earlier today, Rehmat Ajmal — a young emerging actor known popularly for her role in Qamar's Mere Paas Tum Ho drama series — had shared her thoughts on being part of the contentious serial penned by Qamar. 

"I absolutely do not endorse the concepts and viewpoints of Rehman. I watched his interview and got to know about his problematic views on many things WAY after the project was completed," she had said.

Qamar was criticised last year as well for comments he made during an interview when the playwright said he did not understand what equality women demanded, challenging them to "abduct a man and gang-rape him so I know what equality is".