Meesha Shafi Rejects Being Nominated In Lux Style Awards

Meesha Shafi Rejects Being Nominated in Lux Style Awards

April 25, 2019
Posted by Amna Nazir

Pakistani singer Meesha Shafi was nominated for the Lux Style Awards (LSA) on Tuesday (yesterday) , and inquired for her name to be removed from the nominees’ list. One day before that a clothing brand Generation and makeup artist Saima Bargfrede had also shared to boycott the show.

Meesha posted on social media her desire to not to be nominated and said:

“I want to thank Eman Suleman. What she, Generation and Saima Bargfrede have said and done is what I consider my award.”

She expressed that, “In a perfect world, I would love to see women retain their space in the industry while being safe so that the cost of speaking up is minimized, or even done away with altogether. A cost which is all too high at present. Our boycotts should not overshadow our achievements. With brave women like these, I feel optimistic about getting there one day.” Her song ‘Mein’ has been nominated in the category of Best Song for the LSA.

Meesha says that, “‘Mein’ stands nominated for the best song at the Lux Style Awards 2019. The irony is not lost on me given the current circumstances and I would kindly request that my name and work be removed from the list of nominees.”

Regarding her song, she announced, “Mein’ is a song about finding our true self. Being aligned with a higher purpose. Being our own hero and being enough. I wrote it at a particularly difficult time in my life. When I needed to be all those things.”

“I have been subjected, on more than one occasion, to sexual harassment of physical nature at the hands of a colleague from my industry: Ali Zafar,” she wrote on Twitter.

“These incidences did not happen when I was young, or just entering the industry. This happened to me despite the fact that I am an empowered, accomplished woman who is known for speaking her mind. This happened to me as a mother of two children.”

“Ali is someone who I have known for many years and someone who I have shared the stage with. I feel betrayed by his behaviour and his attitude and I know that I am not alone.”

Says Meesha “Today I am breaking the culture of silence and I hope that by doing that I am setting an example for young women in my country to do the same. We only have our voices and the time has come to use them.”