Simi Raheel recalls being whistled at and heckled while walking as a young woman

LAHORE: Veteran actress Simi Raheel, recalling her youth, has said she faced catcalls and whistling in public places even when she wore plain clothes, including jeans and a T-shirt.

Speaking about her experiences in an interview, she said she used to walk for hours in winter and would walk from the National College of Arts to GOR-1. According to her, some people whistled from a distance or passed inappropriate remarks.

Simi Raheel said the situation was different when it came to physical harassment. In the past, few dared to touch a woman in a public place, because people nearby would intervene and catch the person who did so.

The actress put this behaviour down to fear, shame and a sense of honour, which, in her view, stopped people from crossing certain limits.

The actress has spoken before about changing social attitudes in Pakistan.