News anchor’s remarks on parenting and difficult conversations draw support from several Pakistani celebrities
Pakistani celebrities have voiced support for news anchor Meher Bokhari after she urged parents to teach their sons the difference between right and wrong, stressing that conversations about puberty, sexual activity and urges should not be treated as taboo.
Bokhari shared a video on Instagram in which she criticised a culture that normalises rape and murder in Pakistan, arguing that parents often avoid discussing sexuality, puberty and desires with their children.
She acknowledged that parents cannot be held entirely responsible for their children’s actions, but said they nevertheless have a responsibility to teach them how to distinguish right from wrong and to “absorb better things”.
“A few years back, a girl in a posh school went to use the bathroom. The seniors gave the maid in the bathroom money and refused anyone from entering for one hour while they raped her. Posh school, educated people, right?” she said, recalling the alleged incident in Lahore.
She went on to refer to other cases, saying, “Then you heard about the case of Aizal Ali, the 17-year-old cousin who raped her and her mom found out after seeing blood in her diaper. And now Ayat Noor, a five-year-old who was killed.”
Bokhari noted that some alleged perpetrators in such cases are under the age of 18, raising questions about how children are raised and what they are taught about consent, boundaries and sexual behaviour at home.
“All rapists and murderers under 18, we have to be doing something wrong, right? If you think that your kid is not seeing hardcore porn and is respectful, please understand if he is going through puberty and has access to social media. Boys have urges and don’t know what to do with their whims, fantasies, desires and wants,” she said.
She argued that parents often avoid such conversations because they consider discussions about sexual urges inappropriate or embarrassing.
“But we don’t speak to them because we are ashamed of teaching right or wrong. We think the Quran teacher can teach them about Islam but speaking on the topic of desires is taboo. We don’t want to tell them that once they reach an age, they will want something. Are we really raising respectful men or rapists and murderers? Will our boys be able to live amongst other girls?” she questioned.
In the caption accompanying her video, Bokhari further urged parents and society to challenge harmful messages, set boundaries and remain engaged with the content children consume.
She wrote that boys should be taught “clearly and consistently” that women are human beings whose autonomy, dignity and safety must be respected.
Several Pakistani celebrities also expressed support for her message. Imran Abbas, Tauseeq Haider and Amar Khan were among those who praised her remarks and called for greater attention to the issue.
Actor Bilal Abbas Khan shared the video on his Instagram Story, writing, “YES!!! Every single word!”
Other social media users also echoed Bokhari’s call for greater education around the subject, with one commentator writing that “sex education needs to be taught in every educational institute”.
Another user thanked Bokhari for raising the subject, writing, “Thank you for educating the people of Pakistan. I don’t know when we are going to discuss such things with our children when we still consider such a thing as a TABOO!”
Bokhari’s remarks have since prompted a broader online discussion about how parents can approach conversations with children about puberty, consent, boundaries and appropriate behaviour.
While she acknowledged that parents cannot be solely responsible for their children’s actions, she argued that avoiding difficult conversations can leave children without guidance as they navigate these issues.
