Zaid Ali’s mother Naheed Noor has drawn backlash over her remarks about Zaryab’s character in ARY Digital’s Dar-e-Nijaat, telling women that having a physical relationship before marriage will leave them unacceptable to even a “chaprasi” (peon).
In a video posted on Instagram, Noor said, “Listen girls, these Abu Bakrs only exist in dramas. The day you do something like Zaryab, meaning physical relation, not even a chaprasi (peon) will accept you.”
Her comments came as Dar-e-Nijaat continues the storyline around Zaryab, Zamil and Abu Bakar.
Noor was referring to Zaryab’s relationship with Zamil in Dar-e-Nijaat, where Abu Bakar marries Zaryab without asking her about her past or her relationship with Zamil.
The remark did not sit well with several viewers, who focused on what they saw as the judgment attached to Noor’s message.
One user said, “She manages to fit in all the stereotypes that old aunties have,” while another called her a “pick me.”
Her recurring social media commentary also became part of the criticism, with one person saying, “She always be giving some unhinged public service announcement.”
For some viewers, however, the controversy was less about Noor’s choice of words and more about whether the point itself was valid. “She’s out of the line but she’s right,” one user wrote, while another defended her by saying, “I can’t believe that there are people out there who are criticising even this. She’s speaking the truth.”
Others challenged the idea that a woman’s past determines whether she can find a loving partner. “She is wrong. What she is saying is because of her experience not reality. good loving people exist (not talking about fictional abubakar),” one person wrote.
The discussion also brought criticism over what one viewer described as the impact of using such language while speaking to young women. “It’s time to unfollow you, instead of motivating the young girls who have been through such thing, you are using such harsh words, and setting your own ‘judgement’,” the post read.
Another part of the debate shifted toward whether the same standard should apply to men, with one viewer writing, “This goes both ways. Both men and women should be careful of premarital physical relations.”
Alongside the debate over Noor’s remarks, some users criticised her personally. “Can’t stand her,” one person wrote, while another said, “She misses being the star of zaid ali’s cringe vids.”
One social media user dismissed her comment as “the worst conclusion ever,” while another simply reacted, “Wt* is this aunty.”
Over the 17 episodes so far, Dar-e-Nijaat has sparked discussions around relationships, heartbreak, redemption and hypocrisy, with the latest debate turning Noor’s comments about Zaryab and Abu Bakar into a wider argument over how women’s past relationships are viewed.
