Hira Khan takes another dig at Saba Faisal over divorce remarks
Pakistani actress Hira Khan has once again weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding veteran actress Saba Faisal’s comments about divorce, delivering a strongly worded message about women’s dignity, safety and their right to leave difficult marriages.
Taking to Instagram, Hira shared a detailed statement without naming Saba Faisal directly, but her remarks came shortly after Saba’s viral comments about changing attitudes towards divorce.
“In a country in fact, a subcontinent where women are burned to death every day because they chose to remain in marriages they should have been allowed to leave alive; where infants are raped and tortured, and women and children aren't even safe in their graves, it is astonishing that there are still people on social media who find endless reasons to police, shame, and condemn women,” Hira wrote.
She went on to stress that divorce should not be viewed as something to celebrate, while emphasizing a woman’s right to seek separation when a marriage becomes unbearable.
“No one celebrates divorce. But even Allah gave a woman the right to seek khula. God does not ask you to remain in suffering simply for the sake of preserving a marriage. He asks you to stand up for your rights, speak your truth, and then have sabr,” she stated.
Hira then made a pointed reference to the generational difference between herself and the person whose comments she was addressing.
“I’m half your age, yet I understand this much. Perhaps I was raised to understand that a woman's dignity, safety, and right to choose matter. And honestly, it isn't your fault that you weren't,” she added.
The latest statement came after Hira had already shared another pointed message on Instagram.
“Janazay uthanay se behtar hain maa baap apne sir jhuka lein. Honestly, I have said it before and I will say it again she needs help” she wrote.
The Urdu portion of her message conveyed the idea that parents should rather lower their heads and accept a difficult situation than eventually have to carry their child’s funeral bier. Hira also reiterated her earlier stance by saying that she had made the point before and would say it again, ending with the remark that “she needs help.”
Hira’s comments followed a viral video of Saba Faisal discussing how Pakistani society’s attitude towards divorce has changed across generations.
Speaking about the past, Saba recalled that when a divorce occurred within a family, it was treated as a period of mourning that could last for two or three months.
“Families mein jab divorce hoti thi to sog manaya jata tha, do, teen mahine sog hota tha,” Saba said, describing the social shame and grief that families traditionally associated with separation.
She further recalled that a father would feel so embarrassed that he could not even raise his head.
“Ye nahi hona chahiye tha. Baap sar nahi uthata tha sharam se,” she remarked.
Saba then contrasted that reaction with what she described as the more casual way divorce can sometimes be discussed today.
She gave the example of a woman casually saying, “Meri to divorce ho gayi hai, teen mahine ho gaye hain,” before describing how she had travelled abroad afterwards and returned after clearing her mind.
“Ab to ye halaat hain. Ye cheezein to kharabi ki taraf hain,” Saba concluded.
Her comments prompted discussion online, with Hira now offering a contrasting perspective focused on women’s autonomy, safety and the right to make decisions about their marriages.
The exchange has added another layer to the wider social media debate over divorce, with the two actresses expressing markedly different perspectives on how society should view separation and the choices available to women.