The film jury of the Lux Style Awards 2019 has released a statement after several celebrities announced their disassociation from the nominations.
It stated that all LSA nominations are based on merit, regardless of any case that was ongoing.
Following is the complete PR released by LSA:
Over the past 18 years, the Lux Style Awards have been nurturing Pakistani excellence in fashion, films, music, and drama.
Over these two decades, the Lux Style Awards nominations have been decided by an unbiased, independent and transparent jury of industry peers and critics.
Neither the Lux Style Awards 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 Lux Style Awards have been surrounded by dialog around nominees involved in a matter of alleged sexual harassment. The LSA Film jury joins the Lux Brand and Unilever Pakistan in condemning all acts of intolerance, discrimination or harassment.
However, it is 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 Lux Style Awards appreciates the sensitivity of the subject and recognizes the intensity of public sentiment. Nevertheless, it is also important to respect that the case is being decided by Pakistan’s judicial system.
We have complete faith in the law of the land and believe that justice will prevail.
The Film Jury
Lux Style Awards 2019