Media personality Dr Nabiha Ali Khan has ignited widespread debate online after revealing that she strictly observes pardah in her personal life, despite appearing unveiled on television.
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In a recent interview, she clarified the apparent contradiction, saying: “This is just the camera where people see me like this. In real life, I always go in pardah.” Her remarks surprised many viewers, who are accustomed to seeing her confidently on-screen without traditional covering.
Social media reactions were quick and often critical. One user wrote, “Those plumbers will see you without pardah on the internet.” Another sarcastically asked, “Do you get high before giving such statements?” Others suggested she only observes pardah when not wearing makeup.
Dr Nabiha’s comments come after an earlier interview with Naeem Hanif in which she discussed why she stopped wearing a dupatta. She recounted a traumatic incident in which a motorcyclist grabbed her dupatta from behind:
“I was all alone, standing on the road without a dupatta. I was shocked. I slapped him, two of his teeth broke, and he called the police.”
She said the distressing event deeply affected her and changed her relationship with traditional attire.
She also shared that she comes from conservative Pakhtoon and Syed families, where her relatives have always lived modest, private lives. Entering the media industry, she said, became necessary due to financial pressures after her father’s death.
Dr Nabiha, whose personal life has been under heightened scrutiny since her widely publicised Nikkah, recently married her longtime friend Haris Khokhar. The ceremony was officiated by Maulana Tariq Jamil.
