Actress Veena Malik has come out in support of the Afghan Taliban, in an interview with DW Urdu.
She disagreed with the view that the Taliban have ‘captured’ Afghanistan, “I think Afghanistan belongs to the Taliban. This is their land which they have fought such a long war for,” she opined.
She commented on her own relationship with the burqa, saying, “I love Kandahar, and I would love to go there, but as far as the burqa is concerned, it has been a part of my life since I was 13 years old. I still wear a burqa when I go out, not because someone has imposed it on me, but because it’s my choice and I feel very secure and safe – since I’m an introvert and I’m very shy. It’s very difficult for me to deal with people, so I am very comfortable in the burqa.”
Commenting on the question of whether the Taliban are forcing people to dress a certain way, Veena Malik took the view that the Afghan people will go along with what the Taliban are implementing. In her view, Afghans “will happily follow them, because they know their culture and traditions very well. I think the people out there are very happy. I don’t see any resistance, so let them be happy please.”
When asked to comment on a possible impact of Taliban rule on Pakistan, Malik complained of the lack of a clear dress code: “Pakistan is an independent country and here people wear all kinds of clothes. In fact, I think we should have a dress code in showbiz. The government should implement a dress code letting us know the limits we’re supposed to stay in.”
In her view, it is women in entertainment industries around the world who deserve more sympathy, rather than Afghan artists:
“I think I should have more sympathy for women in industries around the world who are forced to wear skimpy clothes. Women are more uncomfortable there, rather than when artists are given a proper dress code to follow.”
The actress initially shot to fame with her defiance of conservative norms, but over recent years, has become better known for her conservative and nationalist positions on social media. She recently announced that she is working on a series for Urduflix, involving sociopolitical satire, where “social issues will be discussed in a lighter vein.”
