The entertainment industry in Pakistan is no stranger to controversy, but this one cuts deeper. It isn’t just about two filmmakers. It’s about truth, perception, and how a single letter; read out loud at a festival, has pulled the industry into a courtroom.
Sohail Javed, a director known for his work with music legends like Junoon and Hadiqa Kiani, is suing fellow director Jami Mahmood for Rs1 billion. The reason is a defamation claim rooted in a Facebook post.
How It All Began
Earlier this year, at Lahooti Melo, a festival in Jamshoro that took on the #MeToo movement as its theme. Jami read a letter from an anonymous sexual assault survivor. The letter didn’t name the alleged attacker. Jami didn’t name anyone either. But the description painted a haunting picture of manipulation, assault, and betrayal at the hands of a powerful figure in the industry.
Later, on February 14, Jami posted the full text of the letter on his Facebook page. In the caption, he referred to the abuser as “a music video and TVC director.” He said it was the letter he’d read at the festival. That was enough to set social media buzzing. People began speculating. Fingers were pointed. And somewhere in that noise, Sohail Javed’s name started coming up.
The Legal Notice
Just four days after Jami’s post, Sohail hit back. Through his lawyers, he sent a legal notice demanding a public apology and a halt to any further posts. The notice didn’t deny that Jami had named him, but it pointed out that the way the letter was shared strongly implied who the subject might be, especially within the industry circle.
Sohail’s position is simple: he believes the lack of clarification allowed people to draw conclusions, and that those conclusions have caused serious harm to his reputation.
Speaking about it, he said: “If people are taking my name and the person who posted this isn’t stepping up to correct that, then I have every right to go to court.”
Jami Mahmood’s Response
Jami, however, isn’t backing down. His legal team responded by denying that he knew who the alleged abuser was at the time of posting. And in an interview, Jami seemed genuinely puzzled: “The letter never mentioned any names. It’s strange that someone would come forward because of it.”
He has remained firm in his stance of standing with survivors and using his platform to speak out against abuse.
Bigger Than Just Two Names
While the legal case is between two men, the heart of this story is something larger. It’s about the weight of words in the age of social media. It’s about the space survivors have, or don’t have, to share their stories. And it’s about how quickly a conversation about justice can turn into a courtroom battle over reputation.
Sana Khawja, who co-founded Lahooti Melo, put it clearly: “This wasn’t about any one person. It was about opening up space to talk about patriarchy and power.”
Still, the fallout is real. The Rs1 billion lawsuit includes Rs500 million in damages and another Rs500 million for mental distress. Javed wants the Facebook post taken down. Both parties are expected in court for a hearing.
Where Does This Leave Us?
No one knows how this will end. The legal process will play out. But the questions it raises won’t go away so easily.
Can you share an anonymous story without indirectly accusing someone? Where does responsibility lie when social media runs ahead of facts? And when a woman’s trauma becomes the centrepiece of public debate, who really gets heard?
This isn’t a neat story. It doesn’t have clear heroes or villains. But it matters because how we handle this moment could shape how future survivors choose to speak. Or stay silent.
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