Actress Ayesha Omar says she does not feel safe in Pakistan, planning to leave the nation
Pakistani actress Ayesha Omar has said she does not feel safe as a woman in the country.
The actress said she is planning to leave the nation.
"I don't feel safe here. I want to walk on the road, as it is every human's need to go out for fresh air. I want to cycle but why can't I do it?" she said while speaking during a podcast as quoted by Geo News.
She said the only time women could walk outside in Pakistan was during the COVID-19 lockdown.
"I feel stressed and anxious in Karachi and I just don't feel safe, and I don't think many women do," she said.
"Men can never understand what Pakistani women grow up with no matter how hard you try. The fear a woman faces in this country cannot be understood [by a man]. You feel anxious every second," the actor said.
She revealed she has been mugged twice in Karachi.
She said she cannot walk on the streets of Pakistan without the fear of being kidnapped, raped or mugged.
She said,"Freedom and safety are a basic human need which is not here."
"You are not even safe in your home. Crime happens in every country but you can still go out and walk freely. I can't even go to a park [in Pakistan] without being harassed," she added.