Islamabad:
Pakistani actress Veena Malik hasmounted a fiery defence of her appearance in the controversialIndian reality show Bigg Boss, taking on mullahs who hadcriticised her.
Malik took Mufti Abdul Kawi to task for calling her"baigharat" (immoral) on a talk show on television and said ifshe were in the wrong, so was he because Islam doesn't permita man to cast a second look at a woman who isn't his relative.
"One can be punished for looking at a woman a secondtime, you should be punished," Malik, clad in a blacksleeveless dress, told the Mufti on Express News' Frontlineshow.
Malik's outspoken defence of herself received widespreadsupport from Pakistani liberals and civil society activists onsocial networking websites like Twitter, which were floodedwith messages praising her and quotes of her witty reparteewith the Mufti.
Malik, who was ousted from Bigg Boss after spending 84days on the show, described her appearance in the programme asa "beautiful, terrible, exciting, emotional, sad" experience.
She said the most beautiful thing for her was the love Indiansshowered on her by voting for her.
Malik refused to apologise for her behaviour on the show,saying the show was not aimed at promoting the culture of anycountry. "It isn't a religious show either. The format of theshow is to get people from various walks of life under oneroof... I was contacted for my bravery," she said.
"I wasn't even representing office-going women ofPakistan. I was a Pakistani from the entertainment industry,"she added.
Malik snubbed critics who claimed she was dressedscantily, saying, "I wore only clothes that I have worn inPakistan before. I was representing myself... and I am likethis only."
The talk show also featured Ashmit Patel, who said thatMalik regularly prayed on the sets of the show even thoughthat was never shown on television and also made him offer the'namaz' once.
Malik said the Pakistani media had been unfair to her bynot highlighting the positives such as when she wascomplimented by Salman Khan and not coming to her rescuewhen she was abused on Bigg Boss.
"I belong to the entertainment industry and I went withmy agenda. I wanted to show the world that there are othertypes of Pakistanis too, not just those who are in the newsfor terror acts."
Malik took Mufti Abdul Kawi to task for calling her"baigharat" (immoral) on a talk show on television and said ifshe were in the wrong, so was he because Islam doesn't permita man to cast a second look at a woman who isn't his relative.
"One can be punished for looking at a woman a secondtime, you should be punished," Malik, clad in a blacksleeveless dress, told the Mufti on Express News' Frontlineshow.
Malik's outspoken defence of herself received widespreadsupport from Pakistani liberals and civil society activists onsocial networking websites like Twitter, which were floodedwith messages praising her and quotes of her witty reparteewith the Mufti.
Malik, who was ousted from Bigg Boss after spending 84days on the show, described her appearance in the programme asa "beautiful, terrible, exciting, emotional, sad" experience.
She said the most beautiful thing for her was the love Indiansshowered on her by voting for her.
Malik refused to apologise for her behaviour on the show,saying the show was not aimed at promoting the culture of anycountry. "It isn't a religious show either. The format of theshow is to get people from various walks of life under oneroof... I was contacted for my bravery," she said.
"I wasn't even representing office-going women ofPakistan. I was a Pakistani from the entertainment industry,"she added.
Malik snubbed critics who claimed she was dressedscantily, saying, "I wore only clothes that I have worn inPakistan before. I was representing myself... and I am likethis only."
The talk show also featured Ashmit Patel, who said thatMalik regularly prayed on the sets of the show even thoughthat was never shown on television and also made him offer the'namaz' once.
Malik said the Pakistani media had been unfair to her bynot highlighting the positives such as when she wascomplimented by Salman Khan and not coming to her rescuewhen she was abused on Bigg Boss.
"I belong to the entertainment industry and I went withmy agenda. I wanted to show the world that there are othertypes of Pakistanis too, not just those who are in the newsfor terror acts."
