The Lux Style Awards Film jury has released their statement after numerous walkouts by nominated celebrities in a harrassment  case.

“Over the past 18 years, the LSAs have been nurturing Pakistani excellence in fashion, films, music, and drama. Over these two decades, the LSA nominations have been decided by an unbiased, independent and transparent jury of industry peers and critics.” the statement read.

“Neither the LSAs, nor Unilever Pakistan has ever intruded into the independence of the Jury’s decision. The LSA’s Jury takes pride in this legacy of merit and authenticity, which have stood the test of time. In 2019, the LSAs have been surrounded by dialog around nominees involved in a matter of alleged sexual harassment.”

“However, it’s also important to emphasize that the decisions of the Film Jury were based on an assessment of the merits of the cinematic work. We do not consider any other extraneous issues related to the personal characters or actions of people associated with that work. The Film Jury of the LSAs appreciates the sensitivity of the subject and recognises the intensity of public sentiment. Nevertheless, it’s also important to respect that the case is being decided by Pakistan’s judicial system. We’ve complete faith in the law of the land and believe that justice will prevail.”

Earlier, the likes of Eman Suleman, Meesha Shafi, Rubbab Ali, The Sketches, Generation, Saima Bargfrede and Fatima Nasir dropped their nominations LSA.

Frieha Altaf, who has had a long association with the Lux Style Awards, also spoke up about the criticism over the nomination of an alleged sexual harasser and assured that the ceremony will be in line with #MeinBhi values.

Taking to Twitter today, Frieha said, “The #MeinBhi movement is not a one-off. The struggle to ensure a safer workplace will be a lifetime effort. My #LSA turf is the LSA show and the stage — not the nominations that are done by independent juries. No one has a say in what the jury decides.”