Author: optimum_tech

  • Resham, you might not be depressed but 75 per cent of Pakistanis are

    Resham, you might not be depressed but 75 per cent of Pakistanis are

    In a recent interview on PTV Home, veteran actor Resham claimed that depression “does not exist”, which is an incredibly insensitive and illogical statement for a person in her position to say. Depression is not trivial; it is a genuine health condition. And it very much exists in Pakistan — more than most countries in the world.

    In 2022, public health experts and intellectuals pointed out that around 75 per cent of the population, especially youngsters, are experiencing stress, anxiety or depression in Pakistan. We have one of the highest rates of mental ill-health in the world; according to one estimate, around 50 million people in Pakistan suffer from debilitating issues such as depression, abuse, alcoholism, post-traumatic disorder, eating disorders, manic depressive psychosis, and schizophrenia. What is even more alarming is that according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are only 0.19 psychiatrists in Pakistan per 100,000 inhabitants, one of the lowest numbers in the world. The absence of trained mental health professionals in the country has created a major treatment gap, leaving more than 90 per cent with mental health issues untreated. More than 20 million Pakistanis (10 per cent of the country’s population) suffer from some form of mental health condition.

    With a deteriorating economy, unemployment, an all time high inflation, and low salaries, survival seems nearly impossible in Pakistan right now. People are getting killed in stampedes just to get free ration for themselves.

    Last year, WHO and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) called for concrete actions to address mental health concerns in the working population, saying that an estimated 12 billion workdays are lost annually due to depression and anxiety, costing the global economy nearly $1 trillion.

    The struggles and torment some people are facing in Pakistan are truly heart-wrenching, the reasons why the country is wrapped in depression. Conditions are so palpable and scary that last month we witnessed a Grade 17 officer of the Inland Revenue Service (IRS) in Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) who allegedly wrote a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requesting permission to start engaging in corrupt activities from April 1. The officer claimed that he faced difficulties in meeting his expenses due to his low salary and the current high inflation in the country. In the letter, the officer said that he had been working with the FBR for the last four years and has never committed a single rupee of corruption, despite offers to earn below-the-table money on several occasions. However, now he was not left with any option but to look for illicit means to make ends meet, and seeks permission from the prime minister to engage in corruption. The officer also shared his salary, which is Rs122,922, and his general expenses, which amount to Rs110,500, not including petty expenses as a husband and father.

    In these desperate times how would one not be scared, anxious, worried and in depression? We can only hope that people take mental health seriously. Times are tough and only the right help and guidance will help us get through. And we hope that people acknowledge and understand the reality of these conditions and not disregard that we are very much, in fact, a depressed nation.

  • Govt ministers come forward to aid elephant Noor Jehan, address poor facilities at Karachi Zoo

    Social media got together to raise its voice for Noor Jehan, one of the elephants at Karachi Zoo, who was suffering from a joint and bone disease which had left her hind legs completely paralyzed. Pictures of the distressed elephant emerged on Twitter, prompting animal rights activists to demand that the government help with proper treatment and for her to be sent to an elephant sanctuary.

    Government officials have responded with Salman Sufi, Head of Prime Minister of Pakistan’s Strategic Reforms, and Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah pledging to provide immediate medical aid, as well as monitor reports of poor facilities at Karachi Zoo.

    Sufi shared a screenshot of Noor Jehan’s medical test on Twitter, writing that Karachi administration was keeping in touch with Four Paws, a global animal welfare organization that focuses on improving the living conditions of animals.

    “Thank you to everyone who keeps raising voice for #NoorJehan Her tests are being conducted regularly and so is the checkup. Karachi administration has assured of their cooperation with four paws. Team from Punjab wildlife is also arriving this week. We will keep pursuing.”

    The Current reached out to Sufi to ask how Noor Jehan is being provided with medical treatment and his response was:

    “Four Paws have been invited to assess the elephant and Wildlife Punjab has also been sent to assist them. Safari Park Karachi special room is also being constructed for her and regular tests are also being conducted.”

    When asked about whether the government is taking action on reports of negligence, especially food supply because of which many animals and birds were reportedly left to starve, Sufi said:

    “We are monitoring those reports and have requested the Karachi administration. Government of Sindh is actively pursuing this issue as well.”

    In regards to the vocal call by activists to shift Noor Jehan to an elephant sanctuary, Sufi responded that they would be following the doctor’s orders on what is best for the elephant.

    Nasir Hussain Shah visited Karachi Zoo on Monday, where he stated that an inquiry regarding the reports that food supply for animals had been cut off had been initiated and revealed that no such issues were found. He said that a team of doctors is arriving from Vienna. The government is in contact with them to provide the elephant with all the resources she needs.

    Yesterday, The News reported that Sindh Governor Muhammad Kamran Khan Tessori made a visit to Karachi Zoo, where he told reporters that allegations regarding political support to the zoo staff was false, and action shall be taken against anyone found guilty for spreading this rumor. Moreover, Tessori also revealed that the government was holding an inquiry over the treatment and care of Noor Jehan.

  • Political arrests show our politicians have learnt nothing

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) social media head Azhar Mashwani went missing outside his house on Thursday when he was taking a cab to Zaman Park. His brother has lodged an FIR of his kidnapping. PTI has alleged that Azhar has been illegally abducted by the authorities. It is indeed quite alarming that three days have passed since he went missing from Lahore and yet there is no news about his whereabouts. Imran Khan has condemned the police in Punjab and Islamabad for “breaking all laws with impunity as they target PTI”. The recent targeting of PTI leaders and workers, including Fawad Chaudhry, Hassaan Niazi, and now Mashwani shows that our political parties have not learnt anything and will do the same when they come in power which they condemned when they were at the receiving end of the same treatment during the regime of their political opponents.

    Two wrongs don’t make a right is something we often hear, but we don’t see this being professed in Pakistan. Witnessing the wrongs in the politics of Pakistan, it is safe to say that no one learns from past mistakes. For years, we have seen politics in our country. The people in power change, and their faces change, but their means and tactics to settle scores remain the same, and this vicious cycle continues. In the last few months, we have seen how the PTI leaders and workers have been arrested on frivolous charges just like workers and leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) or others when the PTI was in power. For years now, we have seen some very powerful sectors influencing decision-making both in politics and otherwise. The political arena is overshadowed by these mighty decision-makers and their idea of politics. Every time a politician is arrested to silence him or her, it just shows a flagrant disregard for the law of the land.

    An arrest should only be made if, and only a crime has been committed or one is found guilty of any wrongdoing. Arrests on frivolous charges are not the answer to silence opinion. Democratic countries allow dissent. We have seen journalists and activists being arrested or picked up because of their views and opinions. The PDM government, which was a victim of such brutal policies in the past, has now made it abundantly clear that it will go to the same lengths to arrest Khan and his supporters. However, this vicious cycle must end. It is the responsibility of the political class to decide if they want to continue with settling scores and political victimisation or they want to put a stop to it. All politicians, be they in the government or the Opposition, need to unite on this point. Otherwise, such arrests and disappearances will continue. This culture must stop and change because political arrests will get us nowhere. A country facing multiple crises – from economic to political – needs stability. Not more chaos.

  • PepsiCo Celebrates World Water Day with 100% Water Replenishment in Company-Owned Operations

    Lahore, March 22, 2023: PepsiCo Pakistan organized an event today to celebrate World Water Day 2023 by sharing that the company is replenishing 100% of the water they use at their Snacks manufacturing facilities in Sundar and Multan watersheds, in line with its global vision to become Net Water Positive by 2030. The company also showcased a unique Water Stewardship Model Community that is being set up in partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature – Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan). The Center of Water Informatics and Technology (WIT) at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) will provide technical expertise for the project while Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) will create policy briefs based on the project learnings to facilitate policymakers.

    The event was held at WIT LUMS with an aim to raise awareness about the importance of water and sanitation and to promote sustainable management of water resources through public-private partnerships. A robust overview of various water conservation projects by PepsiCo Pakistan across the country was shared, including partnerships with multiple stakeholders such as the government, non-profit organizations, academia, and policymakers. PepsiCo Pakistan also honored Community Leader Dr. Humera Saleem, who has been a key part of spearheading community mobilization for the PepsiCo Foundation and WaterAid supported Access to Safe Water program in Humak, Islamabad.

    Eugene Willemsen, CEO PepsiCo Africa, Middle East, and South Asia (AMESA), and Furqan Ahmed Syed, CEO PepsiCo Pakistan and Afghanistan along with stakeholders from WWF-Pakistan, SDPI and WIT LUMS unveiled the Water Stewardship Model Community project. The expansive project willinclude water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities and enable sustainable sewage water management in one underserved community in rural Punjab for a focused intervention that delivers positive outcomes. The model village will illustrate the end-result of this collaboration for water access and stewardship, improved sanitation and replenishment, employing state-of-the-art interventions for WASH and Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS). In line with our Alliance for Water Stewardship and Water Replenishment agenda, this model will exemplify PepsiCo’s commitment to directly benefiting communities within our watershed.

    A high-level panel discussion on “Accelerating Collaboration for a Net Water Positive Future ” featuring distinguished panelists Arif Jabbar Khan (Country Director WaterAid Pakistan), Dr. Shafqat Munir Ahmed (Director Resilient Development Program SDPI), Maha Qasim (CEO & Founder Zero-Point Partners) and Dr. Abubakr Muhammad (Director WIT LUMS) was also conducted at the event, focusing on critical issues related to the water crisis in Pakistan, including access to safe drinking water, sustainable water management, private sector engagement in water stewardship, and the role of technology and innovation in addressing water challenges.

    Speaking on the occasion, Eugene Willemsen, CEO PepsiCo AMESA said, “Being an agriculture company at our core, water is a critical resource for PepsiCo’s business. It is, therefore, a strong imperative for food producers like us to follow through a Net Water Positive vision, ensure water resources are in a better state due to our presence, achieve sustainable water security, replenish more water than we use and support collaborative solutions to reduce water stress at the local community-level. Local stakeholder engagements and partnerships play a key role in paving our way towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. PepsiCo Pakistan’s tangible win is reflective of our accelerated water stewardship efforts in the region, reiterating our pep+ sustainability commitment to the people and the planet.”

    Syed M Abul Hassan Kazmi, Senior Director Supply Chain and Office of Sustainability Lead PepsiCo, said, “At PepsiCo, we are reengineering the ways in which we use water within our operational boundaries and outside them, in our communities. Our focus is on water protection and conservation across our value chain, in line with the vision of becoming Net Water Positive.  We have achieved 100% water replenishment in our company-owned operations in the Sundar and Multan watersheds and continue to work extensively on accelerated programs that focus on water conservation and access to safe water for communities.”

    Dr. Abubakr Muhammad added, “Leveraging the power of industry-academia linkages and information-driven technologies for water issues in Pakistan will surely accelerate transformation in water conservation and use. We are happy to assist PepsiCo, WWF-Pakistan, and SDPI at the Model Community in collecting and visualizing real-time data of various critical interventions for community uplift.”

    About PepsiCo

    PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $86 billion in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complimentary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

    Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for the planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo. 

  • The State VS. Imran Khan

    The State VS. Imran Khan

    For almost an entire week, we have witnessed violent clashes between the police and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers in Punjab’s capital, Lahore. And on Saturday, the same visuals could be seen in both Lahore and the country’s federal capital, Islamabad. The state vs PTI Chairman Imran Khan paints a sorry picture for both politics and the writ of the state. It is as if no one cares about the consequences these clashes will lead to. The visuals on our television screens and on social media can lead one to think that no one is bothered about civility, be it the police or Khan loyalists. The past few days, we have seen lawlessness, desperation and disarray.

    It could all have been avoided had Imran Khan presented himself before the court in the Toshakhana case on March 13. He had been summoned numerous times, but Khan refused to show up. After his non-bailable arrest warrants were issued by the court, the police acted on it and tried to arrest Khan. However, Khan refused to budge. Eventually, there was only chaos and mayhem. There was drama, disruption and disorder yet neither the state nor Khan and his party took a step back. We saw petrol bombs thrown at the police by PTI workers, tear gas and heavy shelling by the police. Yesterday, Khan’s non-bailable arrest warrants were finally cancelled by the court when he went to Islamabad. Though he could not go inside the court due to the clashes in the judicial complex between the PTI workers and the Islamabad Police, the court still accepted his ‘appearance’ while he was inside his car.

    On the other hand, when Khan was on his way to Islamabad, the police in Lahore went to his Zaman Park residence to conduct a search operation. From bulldozing walls to throwing paintings here and there, the police claims to have allegedly recovered weapons and petrol bombs from Zaman Park. PTI will move the court for contempt proceedings against the police for alleged violence against PTI workers, Khan’s staff and for violating the sanctity of Khan’s home. Both the use of force by the police and the way that Khan resisted his arrest through violence have raised several questions.

    What could have been done to avoid all the unrest that Lahore had to bear? Khan should have followed the rule of law and appeared before the court on March 13. The state’s response when its writ was challenged was shelling, rubber bullets, tear gas and breaking the gate of Khan’s residence at Zaman Park. What we have seen is that when titans collide, everything gets destroyed and no one really wins. Both ends lose and there is nothing to celebrate. We hope that after this episode, there will not be a repeat of what we saw last week. We hope that party workers and state institutions show patience, civil ways to support their leaders and not create law and order situation. We hope to see less political chaos and more stability in the coming days.

  • After fights, chaos in Islamabad, Police book Imran and others on terror charges

    After fights, chaos in Islamabad, Police book Imran and others on terror charges

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and party senior leadership have been booked under terrorism charges for allegedly injuring Islamabad police officials and creating chaos outside the Federal Judicial Complex where Khan arrived to present himself before the court in the Toshakhana case.

    Ramna Police Station House Officer (SHO) registered a First Information Report (FIR) at the Islamabad Counter Terrorism Department against Imran and other PTI leaders.

    It named PTI Secretary General Asad Umar, former deputy speaker Asad Qaiser, leaders Hammad Azhar, Murad Saeed, Shibli Faraz and others.

    SHO Ahmed claimed that PTI workers were armed with stones which they threw at a checkpost. They also burnt down barriers and tents at the checkpost.

    The FIR added that another group of PTI leaders set fire to 16 government and police vehicles and four motorcycles.

    In a tweet posted early Sunday morning, the Islamabad Police said: “Fifty-two policemen were injured from incited workers pelting stones at the officials of Islamabad Capital Police and other assisting forces at the appearance of PTI Chairman Imran Khan at the Judicial Complex.”

    It added that 12 vehicles of the Islamabad police and three belonging to the Punjab police and Frontier Constabulary were damaged, among which four of the Islamabad police’s were “completely burned”.

  • ‘Beaten badly, starving and bruised’: Residents of Zaman Park reveal terrifying three days

    ‘Beaten badly, starving and bruised’: Residents of Zaman Park reveal terrifying three days

    Early this week, for two days police clashed with supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as officials tried to arrest Imran Khan on a warrant issued for missing court hearings.

     On Monday, March 13, a contingent of police arrived with the arrest warrant at the Lahore residence of the former Prime Minister in Zaman Park. What begun as a routine arrest ended up with the police firing tear gas as protestors tried to stop the arrest. At least 54 policemen and eight civilians suffered injuries in the clashes. 

    As police forces, who were joined by Rangers, tried to disperse crowds, residents of the upper-scale neighborhood have confessed that the past three days have been a complete nightmare. 

    Model and dancer Hafsah Haq shared pictures and videos of the clashes and revealed that wifi, mobile and television channels had been cut off since the operation began: 

    “Our wifi, mobile net and TV channels have been cut off since 12 am yesterday. Communicating via texts and calls has been difficult as well because of the scattered signals causing delayed texts and calls dropping.”

    Haq also shared a video of tear gas being shot near her home, and revealed how her family members were exposed to it:

    “Tear gas was shot everywhere. Unfortunately, one landed in the terrace where the AC’s unit is visible is where one can landed and we were on the roof. We were exposed to it and immediately rushed back inside, washing our eyes and face because the burning sensation was horrendous.”

    Haq also shared a video of a tear gas shell she found inside her house, and in the caption she had written that it had expired four months ago, making it more virulent:

    “When they say it’s deadly after the expiration date. And it’s four months above the expiration date.”

    The Current reached out to Resident 1 who lives near Zaman Park and was told that the situation has been bad for the past three days because the internet and light had been cut off in the area, as well as the extensive tear gas shells that have injured people. She said that she found at least 200 tear gas shells from her house:

    “Police and rangers have been shelling continuously for two days straight, they used rubber bullets on people and also actual bullets were found on the roads of Zaman Park.”

    Resident 1 also shared pictures with us of tear gas shells, which she revealed were thrown directly on crowds. She said that she and the rest of the residents couldn’t breathe and their skin began burning.

    Resident 1 said that the police had not offered evacuation or medical facilities to residents currently residing in homes of Zaman Park. 

    “The rescue 1122 people were not responding, so we had to force them to help.”

    Resident 1 said that without proper facilities, she and the rest of her family have been helping the protestors by providing them with salt and water, as well as stopping the police from hurting them. 

    Cut off without proper medical facilities or food, Resident 1 has been asking for more people to donate supplies in order to help the protestors. 

    The Current also reached out to Resident 2 who also lives near Zaman Park and confirmed that the residents themselves have been caught in the middle of the protests and are suffering from the shelling:

    “Our faces, our skins, eyes are watering. We had rashes all over our body. It was intense, like when we stepped out into our gardens there was a cloud of tear gas, and the smell stayed on for quite a while. Breathing became unbearable although most of them were inside and people who were trying to put out the shells faced the same problems.”

    In video clips posted to her Instagram stories, she had revealed that all entrances and exits to Zaman Park had been sealed

    Resident 2 revealed that it was currently the residents who were stepping up to help the protestors and provide them with medical aid and food. 

    She went on to describe the medical camp that was set up at Zaman Park which was set up by the residents to help injured people, where it was disturbing to see young women and children injured:

    “It was very disturbing to see young women and children bleeding and their retina’s burst and their lips split, their teeth and arms broken. Basically badly bruised and battered by the police. It was really upsetting to see such sights and at a human level, people in whatever capacity were stepping out and helping in any way they could.”

    Resident 2 shared that while the situation at Zaman Park is bleak, she was empowered by witnessing these people fighting against the government attempt to arrest Imran Khan:

    “Seeing all these people fighting at the forefront for their haqeeqi-azaadi, for Naya Pakistan for everybody, for a state that will have law at the forefront. All these people, all these youngsters..they have put their best fight forward..So it’s not that they were hiding, people were relentless in this fight and its sad to see that this is leading to polarisation.”

    The Lahore High Court had ordered the police to halt the operation and said that on Thursday, all parties must sit together and find a solution.

    But for the residents of Zaman Park this order doesn’t bring any joy as it doesn’t mean there is any proper outcome and it doesn’t provide any guarantee of safety for the residents or for Khan’s life.

    “There are currently a large number of people at Zaman Park and we don’t know what is the leadership’s next move. We do not know what is the establishment’s next move. So what the people want right now is the safety of Khan.”

    She also went on to condemn the IG of Lahore for saying in a televised speech that no bullets were fired at residents during Operation Zaman Park, stressing that bullets were found on the ground. 

    Resident 2 went on to say that what the people currently want is the assured safety of Imran Khan, and don’t want anything to happen to him.

    “The few thousands that are here right now do not want anything to happen to Khan, and they don’t want to do any undertaking where they feel his life will be under threat. If he has has to go to court…they want some assurance, they want a promise from the government that nothing will happen to him.”

  • Trans activist Shahzadi Rai shares video of extremists stalking her home

    Trans activist Shahzadi Rai shares video of extremists stalking her home

    Prominent Karachi-based transgender activist Shehzadi Rai shared a triggering video on her Twitter page of two men stalking her home. In the clip the men be seen turning away when they spot the camera. Rai wrote in a tweet that she was terrified for her life, because the men were threatening her with bottles of acid.

    People tagged the Sindh police in replies to help Rai.

    The Current reached out to Rai for a statement, and she revealed that she did not know why the men were stalking her. Rai also shared that this was the fourth time these men had appeared outside her house, and that she was going to the police to get them arrested.

    Member of the Provincial Assembly Sindh Sharjeel Memon condemned the incodent on Twitter and asked Rai to send him relevant details.

    Rai later revealed in a video uploaded to her Twitter account that she was present at the Shahar E Faisal police station and called for better protection of the khwajasara community by the police.

    Rai also shared a picture of the police case filed against her stalkers and thanked the Sindh Govt for understanding the sensitivity of the situation by deploying police forces outside her home

  • PSL 8: Sultans thrash Qalandars en route to the finals

    Multan Sultan crossed all hurdles brilliantly and reached the finals of Pakistan Super League (PSL) by thrashing defending champs Lahore Qalandars last night at Gaddafi Stadium.

    Sultans defeated the nearly invincible Qalandars by 84 runs. Chasing a target of 161 runs, Lahore was routed at only 76 runs in 14.3 overs.

    Lahore lost Mirza Tahir Baig, who scored only 8 runs, early after Sheldon Cottrell bowled an out swinger who edged one through to Rizwan.

    Cottrell struck in the same over to trap Abdullah Shafique on a duck in front of the stumps.

    Lahore were hoping that opener and star batter Fakhar Zaman would lead the run-chase but that was not the case after the left-hander was clean-bowled by an inswinger from Anwar Ali. He scored six runs in seven balls.

    Earlier Multan Sultans choose to bat first and set a not so difficult target in PSL 8 season where usually the target is 250 above, putting up 161 in their 20 overs by giving 5 wickets.
    Multan made a decent start in the powerplay with 46 runs on the board without losing a wicket.

    Lahore got their first breakthrough in the eighth over after Haris Rauf cleaned up Usman Khan, who scored 29 runs in 28 balls. He added 53 runs for the first wicket with skipper Mohammad Rizwan.

    Lahore’s good bowling ensured that the middle orders were dominated by the Qalandars.

    However, missed chances in the death overs allowed Kieron Pollard to take the attack to the bowling side, adding 57 runs in 34 balls with the help of six maximums and a four.

    Tim David remained unbeaten on 22 runs in 15 balls.

    Rauf was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-34 in four overs. Meanwhile, Zaman and Rashid bagged one wicket each.

    David Wiese also bowled an economical spell of 0-24 in four overs.

    While Multan qualified for the final, Lahore will now play the second eliminator against the winning team of the first eliminator.

    Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi will meet in the first eliminator on Thursday and the team that loses will get knocked out of the event. The winner will face Lahore on Friday.

    Playing 11
    Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Mirza Tahir Baig, Abdullah Shafique, Sam Billings (wk), Hussain Talat, Sikandar Raza, David Wiese, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi (c), Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan.

    Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan (wk/c), Usman Khan, Rilee Rossouw, Kieron Pollard, Tim David, Khushdil Shah, Anwar Ali, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Sheldon Cottrell, Ihsanullah.

  • Maria B and what continues to be wrong with our society

    Designer Maria Butt, running the Maria B design label, somehow stays more in the news because of her controversial, many times toxic and mostly disappointing point of view than her clothing brand itself. The designer has a way of getting attention for all the wrong reasons.

    So a designer who has been in the industry for a long should have evolved with the changing times, but sadly, to our disappointment, Butt reflects a more significant part of our society that is still stuck in ancient times. But, like many bigoted Pakistanis, it provides little to no space for accepting people for who and what they are.

    Let’s talk about her many problematic views that have hurt the sentiments of many, put the lives of marginalised groups in danger and not to forget the very recent emotional damage done to a family because of her brand’s recent photoshoot.

    Maria B has several times attempted to “raise awareness” about her apparent “vast distinctions” between the Khwajasira and Transgender community through her limited knowledge, which resulted in putting the lives of the already marginlised community in danger. People like Maria B should understand that the transgender community is struggling to stay alive, let alone benefit from rights granted to them by the laws of this country. She has a huge following and the words she utters against anyone have consequences of their own.

    How can one forget that Maria B expressed great joy in a series of Instagram stories, when the censor board in Punjab banned the film Joyland. A film that has put Pakistan’s name on the world map was widely opposed by the designer. She then hailed the Punjab government saying, “You guys rock!” when they banned the film. Maria also highlighted how this ban “gives hope” to people like her who want a better future for children in Pakistan.

    Despite being from a previliged class, she has only displaying ignorance. A member of Bahawalpur’s Abbasi family, the former nawabs of the once princely state, called out the Maria B brand for posting and later deleting pictures and videos of a campaign shot in their private family graveyard. The campaign featured shots from various locations in Bahawalpur. In it, the models are seen walking and twirling around in various locations, one of which was identified as the private graveyard of the royal family of Bahawalpur. The videos and pictures have since been deleted and the Maria B page posted an apology for the “unfortunate incident”.

    Needless to say, Maria B has been receiving backlash for offering her unsought and limited knowledge about topics she is no expert on. Yet, her ignorance and insensitivity makes her believe that it is her duty to raise her voice, and speak without thinking of consequences for others. We can only hope she and others like her learn for the better. Pakistan is already intoxicated by the narrow mindset of many. We don’t want additional toxicity in our country.