Actor Iqra Aziz has spoken out strongly against a viral incident showing a father slapping his child in public. The incident, which was captured on video and widely circulated on social media, showed a man striking his son across the face, allegedly in response to the child being too loud while skating. The footage sparked outrage, and Iqra was among the first celebrities to publicly call out the behaviour.
Sharing the video on her Instagram Story, Iqra penned a powerful message addressing the deep-rooted culture of corporal punishment in Pakistani households. “No action is big enough for you to slap or hit your child in public, in front of family or even (alone) in a room,” she wrote. As a desi parent herself, Iqra acknowledged how difficult it can be to break free from generational cycles of violence, especially when many parents today were once children punished for being “too naughty, too loud,” or simply not obedient enough.
Iqra emphasised that children are not miniature adults; they are vulnerable and still learning how to behave. “Please understand your child is new to this world at every stage of his/her life,” she wrote. “He’s younger than you, vulnerable and experiencing things differently. Someone has to break the cycle.”
Iqra’s words resonated widely, with social media users applauding her for shedding light on a normalised but harmful parenting practice. One user commented, “Islam does not allow slapping across the face. The child should have been disciplined at home.” Another added, “Violence has become a part of our DNA. This is not acceptable.” As per another netizen, practices like these are behind people complaining “their kids don’t care for them in old age.”
Pakistan has no federal law explicitly banning corporal punishment at home, though efforts like the Islamabad Capital Territory Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Act (2021) exist. Advocacy groups have long pushed for stronger child protection laws nationwide.
With big hits such as Suno Chanda and Mannat Murad in her portfolio, Iqra’s long credited her success to her love for the craft. “I like to express myself. Maybe during that journey, I made such good friends with the camera that the moment it comes in front of me, I become a different person,” she said, appearing as a guest on The Pick & Drop Show last year.
While celebrities typically find themselves socialising a lot in showbiz, Iqra maintained that contrary to her usual on-screen persona, she is a very private person. “Off-screen, it’s not very often that I am able to make friends with people.”
