Veteran actress Faryal Gohar has shared painful details about her nine-year marriage to actor Jamal Shah, including physical abuse and pregnancy loss. She spoke about this during an appearance on Nida Yasir’s morning show, Good Morning Pakistan.
Gohar said domestic violence does not spare women just because they are educated, financially independent, or well known in society. Many women, she said, hide their suffering because of family and social pressure.
She alleged she was beaten repeatedly with leather belts, and the abuse was severe enough to cause miscarriages. She also said she sometimes missed classes due to injuries and later needed surgery for kidney pain caused by the beatings.
Gohar was only 23 when she got married, and at the time it was a decision she and her family both supported. But she says life after marriage became difficult, as she was barred from stepping out of the house freely. She even recalled wearing her mother-in-law’s burqa and travelling in a covered rickshaw just to stay unrecognised in public.
According to Gohar, domestic abuse isn’t only physical, it also includes control, isolation, and taking away a woman’s basic freedom. She encouraged women facing similar situations to value themselves and find the strength to walk away, and also called for men to be taught more about respect and healthy relationships.
The couple divorced in 1992, and after over three decades of silence, they discussed their separation publicly earlier this year during a Ramadan show appearance. Despite everything, both have said they still hold mutual respect for one another.
