Let Nabeel Khokhar Be

Today, we live in a world where when you slip and fall at your private residence, a million people from all over the world have the ability to laugh at you and we have nothing but the well-meaning social networking and broadcasting websites to thank for that. Go to throw rubbish outside and you are aware of a million eyes watching you, even if there's no one in the vicinity. Yes, today it's a world where everyone can see, hear and access any and everything. But does that mean, understanding comes easy as well? Does seeing everything implies that one has perfect understanding of the situation that is made visible? Sadly, no.

 Everything that we see online is made to appear in a certain context, usually a humourous or insulting one, even if the situation that is being aired or broadcast would be a grave one. Take Amir Liaquat's video that went viral for example. Two words, “Kesa Dya?” have almost become a household statement (if there's such a thing) and recently, we saw yet another example of how the electronic media can serve to transform a no-issue to amazing heights.

Yes, I'm talking about the billboard that went up on Friday, 4th November in Karachi and has since then been the talk of every Facebook page discussion. Nabeel Khokhar, did indeed had the billboard put up to apologize to his ex-wife for his considered misdeeds. And Nabeel Khokar does exist. He is somebody's son and my friend's immediate relative.  Imagine having to put up with tactless and tasteless comments on public forums about somebody in your family? It's hair raising isn't it? And yet, just to have a cheap good laugh people continue to tarn reputations upon reputations and say the wildest of things just to get a certain number of “likes” on their social profiles.

It's true that if it hadn't been my friend's relative, I might have also been one of you, poking fun and sharing gossips. But this has made me realize, how “harmlessly” making fun of people can alter and damage lives. The “Princess”, to whom the Billboard is addressed is a real person and a very good hearted one at that. The amount of emotional distress that she has to go through and will have to put up with till all of this dies down can't ever be explained into words. Usually, I would have advised my friends and their family to wait for all the hype to go down but unfortunately, the wait is taking the toll upon them.

Nabeel Khokhar, should indeed have considered the consequences but what is it that we are actually laughing at him for? For apologizing for his past actions? We all know how that's needed on all of our parts, even though in not really such a public way. But seriously, ask yourself why should the family and “Princess” have to go through the embarrassment? Is it really their fault?

This blog is not meant to garner more attention to the subject. It's been brought up amply enough. This is just written to request whoever is listening, to please, if possible help us in taking it away from the direction to where it's going. It was not meant to be hurtful to the people but has become a serious source of pain and this, I really really want to curb.