Aurat March focused on violence against women, Ahmed Ali Butt called out for missing the point

Actor and entertainer faces backlash for hypocrisy over remarks, contrasting with his ‘culturally unacceptable’ roles

Ahmed Ali Butt recently criticised women at the Aurat March, accusing the movement of being overly focused on clothing. social media controversies while failing to address cases like Gullan Bharo. His comments, however, appeared to ignore the actual theme of this year’s march, which centred on domestic violence. marital rape.

Butt has frequently been vocal in his criticism of feminist movements in Pakistan, despite being one of the country’s most prominent actors. entertainers, often associated with provocative and controversial roles in film and television.

This week, the actor shared a photo on his Instagram story of Gullan Bharo, a mother of two from Sukkur’s Kacha area, who was allegedly killed in the name of honour just days after seeking protection through the police. the courts from her abusive husband.

Alongside the image, Butt wrote: “You will never see her poster on Aurat March. We are more obsessed with what one is wearing, Coke Boss, stupid talk shows, so-called paid influencers blah blah.”

Critics pointed out that Butt’s remarks overlooked the context and purpose of this year’sAurat March.

The 2026 theme, “Good Girls,” focused heavily on issues such as domestic violence, marital rape,. the societal expectations imposed on women, topics directly connected to cases like Gullan Bharo’s.

Butt has also previously accused the march of beingforeign-funded.

At the march. organiser Sheema Kermali addressed common misconceptions surrounding the movement, stating: “Standing here in front of the sea, I am telling you: these are lies. We get no outside funding. We simply came together because women have had enough!”

Her statement referred to the widespread lack of safety, justice, and protection for women across Pakistan.

Butt has also previously criticised Aurat March posters, many of which are frequently taken out of context. Slogans such as Apna khana khud banao[Make your own food] are often dismissed as anti-men rhetoric, despite being intended to highlight the pressure, abuse,. violence many women face over domestic expectations.

Many women online responded strongly to Butt’s comments, with some calling his remarks “misogynistic”. accusing him of reducing a complex movement to selective slogans and viral posters.

One placard at the march read: “Ahmed Ali Butt. Loves doing ‘culturally unacceptable’ movies but has a problem with Aurat March”.

The backlash reflects a broader frustration that the core issues raised at Aurat March, including domestic abuse, marital rape, honour killings,. gender-based violence, are often overshadowed by controversy surrounding individual posters or slogans.

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