Sakina Samo, who was recently honoured with the Pride of Performance has announced that her next film will be a love story set in interior Sindh and will feature Sheheryar Munawar, Asad Siddiqui and Humaima Malick in the lead.
“By the grace of Allah, I am able to announce some details about my next film,” said Sakina in the announcement. “I am so pleased to say Sheheryar Munawar Siddiqui and Asad Siddiqui (not related) are confirmed cast members.”
In a successive post, the veteran actor and director revealed the female lead and some additional details about the film.
“And here is our leading lady, the talented Humaima Malik,” shared Sakina, adding: “I’m humbled and proud to be directing a story set in interior Sindh. All I can say at this point is it’s a love story inspired by true events and characters.”
“It’s a script that I’ve been mulling over for decades, finally I’ve put pen to paper,” she shared further.
Syra Yousuf was recently seen grooving to Saawan Mein Lag Gayee Aag by Mika Singh along with sister Palwasha Yousuf and makeup artist Omayr Waqar, at a friend’s wedding in Karachi.
“Naya Pakistan will be incomplete without the inclusion of women,” said President Dr Arif Alvi as he concluded his speech at the second edition of HUM Women Leaders Awards (HWLA) which took place on March 9, 2021, at the President House in Islamabad.
The HWLA, which “aims to recognise and honour the contributions and achievements of iconic women from Pakistan and around the world”, celebrated eleven national and international women icons and one man for their contributions and achievements in the fields of diplomacy, social work, education, healthcare, human rights, journalism and women’s rights.
“The aim of these awards is to encourage women to think big,” said the network in a statement, adding: “[These women] are change-makers in their respective fields and a symbol and source of hope, courage, determination and inspiration for women across the globe. These iconic women are mentors and role models for girls who aspire to be achievers.”
Among those honoured that night included Ayesha Chundrigar, Lt General Nigar Johar, Ayesha Jalal, Hina Jilani, Shahzadi Gulfam and Malala Yousafzai. All winners received special hand-crafted trophies, designed by Amin Gulgee.
The night was a well-organised and starry affair with many senior actors including Bushra Ansari, Zeba Bakhtiyar, Vaneeza Ahmed and Naumaan Ijaz, in attendance. Hareem Farooq and Sanam Saeed were the hosts for the night while Strings, Umair Jaswal and Quratulain Baloch entertained the audiences with their music and mesmerizing performances.
Speaking at the event, President of the Hum TV Network Sultana Siddiqui said: “It has been my lifelong struggle to see that women are given their due importance in all fields. There should be no glass ceilings, no chains of traditions and customs to stop their flight. In today’s economy, it is imperative that women be given an equal chance to prosper. We cannot have a progressive economy with women shut indoors.”
President Alvi, in his speech, also emphasized on the importance of empowering women and giving them their due right. He asserted that the mission of Naya Pakistan will be incomplete without the inclusion of women and encouraged organisations to achieve a gender balance in the workplace. The President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan said that women’s entry into the workforce must be made easier and that men must play their role in empowering and facilitating women.
Meanwhile, meet the winners of the HWLA below:
Ayesha Chundrigar
Ayesha was honoured and recognised for setting up the first and largest animal rescue organisation in Pakistan – the ACF Animal Rescue. The rescue service has rescued and rehabilitated more than 7,000 animals so far, paving the way for animal rights to become a norm in society.
Shahzadi Gulfam
Shahzadi Gulfam is the first Pakistani woman police officer to receive the International Female Police Peacekeeper Award by the United Nations in 2011. In a career spanning over three decades, Gulfam has made her country proud, both nationally and internationally. She was also the first Pakistani female officer to be deployed in the UN Mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Tabassum Adnan
Tabassum Adnan the first woman in Pakhtun history to have founded an all-women jirga, Khwendo Jirga, which means Sisters’ Council, a milestone for the women of Swat. She was the first to be invited to the District Resolution Council paving the path for local women to participate in the decision-making process. In 2016, Tabassum received the Nelson Mandela – Graça Machel Innovation Award in the Individual Activist Category.
Abida Parveen
The undisputed queen of Sufi Music, Abida Parveen is among the 500 Most Influential Muslim Artists in the world. Besides, receiving a plethora of accolades internationally and nationally, Abida Parveen is also the recipient of eight Pride of Performance Awards, the Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Pakistan’s highest civilian honour, the Hilal-e-Imtiaz.
While receiving her award, Abida also recited a kalam, enthralling audiences were her magical voice.
Lt General Nigar Johar
Lt General Nigar Johar is the first-ever female three-star general in the history of Pakistan and the first female Surgeon General of the Pakistan Army. Hailing from Panjpeer Village, in Swabi District, Lt Gen Nigar was also the first female Commandant of any armed forces unit and the first female to have commanded the largest hospital of the Pakistan Army. An expert markswoman, she is the recipient of the Fatima Jinnah Gold medal, Tamgha e Imtiaz and Hilal e Imtiaz along with an honorary membership at the Royal College of Physicians (UK).
Malala Yousafzai
International icon for education and the world’s youngest Nobel laureate, Malala Yousafzai received an award for her unrelenting efforts to see that every girl completes 12 years of education.
Speaking at the event via video message, Malala said: “I dedicate this award to all the young girls who wish for a bright future, who have a desire to learn and get an education. The pandemic has amplified the education crisis in Pakistan, even more so for girls who continue to pay the highest price. With Malala Fund and our new projects, it is our mission to prioritise the education of girls with an even greater emphasis during this pandemic, so they can continue to learn during [the pandemic] without hindrance.”
“I hope for a day in Pakistan when every girl is able to go to school, get an education, be able to fulfil her dreams and lead without fear,” she added.
Ayesha Jalal
An insightful historian and educationist, Ayesha Jalal has published and written countless books and research articles that provide a unique insight into the culture and history of the subcontinent.
Masarrat Misbah
Cosmetologist and philanthropist Masarrat Misbah was honoured for her work with acid victims. In 2003, Misbah conceptualized the Depilex Smile Again Foundation to rehabilitate and support acid burn victims. Her organization helped many victims receive the best available medical treatment and psycho-social support.
Malik Rafique Awan
The only man awardee of the night, Malik Rafique Awan, has set a precedent for all fathers – all of his five daughters have passed the Civil Superior Service (CSS) exams and are serving their country with the zeal and passion they inherited from their father.
Speaking at the event, an emotional Awan said that on the birth of his fifth daughter, he and his wife Khursheed Begum were ridiculed for not having any sons and that is when he decided to empower all his daughters by giving them worthy education and raising them as strong individuals. He encouraged all men to educate their daughters and raise them as strong and independent individuals.
“I request all fathers to give their daughters degrees instead of jahez,” said Awan, who received the trophy from two of his daughters.
Awan’s eldest daughter, Laila Malik Sher is Deputy Commissioner Income Tax Department in Karachi. His second daughter Shirin Malik Sher is serving as Director at the National Highway Authority Islamabad while the third one Sassi Malik Sher is Deputy Executive, CEO Chaklala Cantt, Rawalpindi. Awan’s fourth daughter Marvi Malik Sher has been appointed as the Additional Assistant Commissioner Abbottabad and his youngest daughter Zoha Malik Sher has just joined the Officers Management Group.
Hina Jilani
Hina Jilani was honoured for her fight for human rights in the country.
International recipients of the HWLA included Princess Sarvath Al Hassan of Jordan and Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces from Ecuador.
Princess Sarvath Al Hassan
Princess Sarvath is the first leader to establish a nonprofit education programme that offered equal opportunities to every student in Jordan, presided over the Young Muslim Women’s Association and pioneered several initiatives such as establishing the Bunayat Center for Special Education in 1974. Princess Sarvath also served as the Honourary Vice President of the Jordanian Red Crescent from 1994- 2004.
Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces
A successful diplomat, profound academic and seasoned politician, Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces has set an example of woman empowerment with her illustrious career and fight for women inclusion in politics. She has headed various ministries such as Foreign Affairs, Defense and Culture and Heritage in Ecuador. Espinosa was also the first female ambassador of Ecuador to the United Nations in New York and Geneva and the fourth woman in history to serve as the president of the United National General Assembly.
Speaking at the event via video, Maria encouraged women participation in politics, asserting that countries will not succeed until women are represented properly in the governments.
The Hum Women Leaders Awards will be televised on Pakistan Day on Hum TV.
Juggun Kazim has opened up about being fat-shamed and criticised each time she gave birth.
In an interview with BBC Urdu, Juggun shared that she gained almost 30 kg after giving birth to her first child.
“I used to cry secretly in washrooms,” said the talk show host, adding that she was forced to think and question her decision of giving birth.
Juggun further said that after giving birth to her youngest daughter recently she received some really mean comments from her co-workers on her body.
Talking about the impact of body shaming on mental health Juggun said: “I had really bad Postpartum Depression [because of this].”
“Kasam se dil chahta tha zameen phaatay aur mein uss main girun, aur zameen band hojae aur chapter closed,” said Kazim.
Juggun also shared that she gets some very nasty comments over her chest.
“Mein aaj kal chalti bhi hun toh iss tarah kab nikal kar ke kisi ke meri chest per nazar na pare,” said Juggun, adding: “I don’t want to feel like this, and no girl should feel this way.”
Earlier, after her miscarriage Juggun had opened up about being fat-shamed while being pregnant.
Ever since Syra Yousuf posted a selfie of herself and Bilal Ashraf, social media users cannot stop shipping the two and asking them to get married to each other.
Yumna Zaidi has hit back at the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) for their notice on Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi (DNUTN), saying “we cannot make saas-bahu dramas only.”
Speaking to BBC Urdu, Yumna said that she doesn’t understand why PEMRA would take notice on her ongoing drama’s content.
“I was very disappointed [with PEMRA’s notice],” said Yumna. “I don’t understand what they want to promote [or show on television].”
“If we don’t talk about problems faced by people in government schools, gali mohallas or in the villages, then we’re only going to listen to bad news. If we force society to think about [such issues] through such content, then at least let it through instead of holding it back.”
“We cannot make saas-bahu dramas only,” lamented the actor further. “We make romantic dramas also. Different genres are given space [on television]. So this [DNUTN] should also be given a small space.”
Directing her comments towards PEMRA, Zaidi said: “I just want to ask PEMRA: ‘How can you do this?’”
The actor further said: “Other projects of mine have also previously received notices from PEMRA [Pyaar Ke Sadkay] but this one hurt more. It should not have happened. I was not happy with that.”
“Matlab kyun?,” she questioned, referring to the drama as a “very special project”.
Featuring Yasra Rizvi, Wahaj Ali, Nadia Afgan, Naumaan Ijaz, Omair Rana and Samiya Mumtaz besides Zaidi in the lead, Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi is a harrowing tale of child abuse and human trafficking in Pakistan. The drama has been written by Amna Mufti and directed by Kashif Nisar and is a Kashf Foundation Presentation.
According to a press release issued earlier, Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi will “bring some of the most heinous and deeply sensitive issues to light – while showing how humanity can still prevail in even the most insurmountable of situations.
The press release further said: “With three parallel stories on prostitution, human trafficking, and child abuse, the drama exposes the lowest ebb of our society.”
Meanwhile, while talking about her character in the drama, Yumna said that she plays a prostitute and while shooting for the party scenes, she was very grateful that this wasn’t her “real life”.
“The feeling was so haunting. And I felt so sorry for those women who are entrapped in such lives,” said the actor. “But I am happy that I am portraying the character of such a woman, who fights the system and breaks free.”
As the country witnesses what are being termed by pundits as the “most controversial” Senate polls in its 74-year history, it has emerged that joint opposition’s candidate Yousuf Raza Gilani met with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Khan Tareen days before the critical electoral process marred by horse-trading allegations.
Sources claim that Gilani, who is the Upper House candidate of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) from Islamabad besides being a critical election for the opposition to give the ruling PTI a tough time, met Tareen at the wedding of another ruling party lawmaker’s son.
Interestingly, both the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) stalwart and Tareen, who reports claim is at odds with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s government since after the sugar crisis scandal, have over the days leading to the Senate elections denied having met each other.
“I have always strived for the PTI with my heart and soul and my support is always for the party,” Tareen was quoted as saying when he denied the meeting of which The Current also has photographic evidence.
The former premier, on the other hand, had also refuted speculation that he met Tareen. “I have neither met Jahangir Tareen neither established contact with him,” he had told media persons on the same day as the PTI leader.
“The two spent quite a lot of time at the wedding of veteran politician and PTI MNA Riaz Fatyana’s son on February 11. They exchanged pleasantries and were seen dining together on top of spending almost all their time at the event with each other,” sources told The Current.
Sources, however, could not confirm the topics of discussion between the two leaders from rival parties and if then-forthcoming Senate polls or Gilani’s election, in particular, were among the things discussed between Gilani and Tareen.
While Tareen and Gilani could not be reached out for a comment, another attendee of the said event, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former National Assembly speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has confirmed the encounter.
Speaking to The Current, Sadiq said that Fatyana has good relations in each and every party and he had known the now PTI and former PML-N leader since the year 2000.
“We have been colleagues since 2002. At his son’s wedding, I was the only MNA from PML-N. Gilani Sahib was the only one from PPP during the one hour I was there. If others came later, I have no idea. But there was no discussion on the issue of Senate at all.”
While Sadiq did confirm Tareen’s presence and exchange of pleasantries between the politicians, he said that he did not notice any interaction between Gilani and Tareen for as long as he himself was there.
A contest for the crucial Islamabad seat in the Senate is currently underway between Gilani and Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh. The vote count is scheduled to begin at 5 pm.
India’s Shashi Tharoor has requested Pakistani comedian Akbar Chaudhry to mimic Imran Khan after enjoying Chaudhry’s hilarious take on the politician’s oratory English skills.
Tharoor, a member of the Indian National Congress, is known for using extensive English vocabulary during his speeches and interviews. Chaudhry had made a fun video on that and shared a few tips on how people can also speak fluent English like Tharoor.
The video shows the comedian making a drink out of the Oxford Dictionary and then drinking it. The second tip is to get a ‘blood transfusion’ with the Oxford Dictionary on one side and Tharoor’s speech on the other.
In the third step, Akbar crushes a dictionary and snorts it. According to the comedian, if these steps are followed, anyone can speak like Tharoor.
Soon after the comedian’s video went viral on social media, the politician responded and requested him to mimic PM Khan. Tharoor shared the video with a laughing emoji and wrote: “Next one on Imran Khan please!?”
Speaking about the video, Akbar told The News that his friends from India have told him that the video is a hit on Indian WhatsApp groups.
When asked about the idea behind the video, Akbar said that he had earlier done a video on “How to Speak English Like a Burger” and had received a lot of positive response on it.
Akbar said that when that video did very well, he thought about doing similar stuff.
He shared that almost two weeks ago, he had seen a tweet which joked that this year’s English exam for the Civil Superior Services (CSS) was set by Shashi Tharoor given the extensive and difficult vocabulary used in it.
“[That’s when] the idea came to me that I can do a video on ‘How to speak English like Shashi Tharoor’,” said Akbar.
He shared that he has been a big fan of Shashi Tharoor’s usage of the words in the English language.
The comedian from the improvisational comedy group ‘Lol Waalay’, said that he had been hopeful that his effort would reach Tharoor.
“Obviously, I didn’t believe it would happen, but somehow lots of people tagged him [Tharoor] in it and he replied,” said Akbar, adding he was “very happy” with the response.
Hassan Sheheryar Yasin (HSY), in a recent interview with The Current, agreed that recent fashion weeks have lost their charm.
Responding to a question on if he thinks fashion weeks have lost their charm, HSY said: “I do. Fashion weeks have lost their charm because everyone looks alike now. All shows are sticking to the same formula now.”
“I think all shows should have a different identity because two shows with similar choreography, background and format would leave people bored,” he continued.
“The spice in fashion is diversity,” added the designer.
When asked which fashion statement he thinks need to be thrown out of the window, HSY said: “A fashion statement is your self-reflection. If I tell you to throw something out of the window, then that’s not your self-reflection. I don’t believe in trends, trends are what you like.”
“If you think a statement is good for you, do it,” he added.
Later, while responding to a question on if the fashion industry is a toxic place, HSY said: “I’ve heard that working at a grocery store is also very toxic. I’ve heard that a fight between your aunts at home is also very toxic. I’ve heard that if two people get into a fight while changing a car’s tyres at a workshop, even that is very toxic.”
“Toxicity is where you find it,” said the designer. “And peace is where you find it. If you find peace in where you are, it’s not [toxic].”
“I think people should talk less and work more,” he added.
Meanwhile, HSY also shared that he does not tire of dressing Reema because “she is not only beautiful but she is also very appreciative”.
HSY, during the interview, also gave a tour of his new studio in Lahore, shared details of his fan moment with Tom Cruise, and opened up on how he deals with controversies when people pass unwarranted statements during his talk shows.
The Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has issued a notice to the makers of Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi and has directed TV One to review the drama’s content and modify it according to the regulatory body’s guidelines.
In a notification shared on social media, PEMRA said: “PEMRA has issued a notice to TV One over content televised in the drama serial Dil Na Umeed To Nahi.”
“The channel has been directed to follow the quality of censor, according to the rules,” it adds.
The notice further directed TV One’s administration to modify the content according to PEMRA’s Code of Conduct and submit a report regarding the editorial board within five days.
Featuring Yumna Zaidi, Yasra Rizvi, Wahaj Ali, Nadia Afgan, Naumaan Ijaz, Samiya Mumtaz, and Omair Rana in the lead, Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi is a harrowing tale of child abuse and human trafficking in Pakistan. The drama has been written by Amna Mufti and directed by Kashif Nisar and is a Kashf Foundation Presentation.
Six episodes of the drama have aired so far. According to a press release issued earlier, Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi will “bring some of the most heinous and deeply sensitive issues to light – while showing how humanity can still prevail in even the most insurmountable of situations.
The press release further said: “With three parallel stories on prostitution, human trafficking, and child abuse, the drama exposes the lowest ebb of our society.”
Yumna, in an earlier interview, while talking about the drama had said: “The story is based on multiple causes. It has three major tracks: human trafficking, child abuse and a young girl who wants to become a cricketer. As far as my track is concerned, it is about women trafficking. Parents from slums sell their young daughters. The drama explores where these girls end up and what kind of a life they spend. And, if any of them dreams big, how does she manage to pursue that.”
Earlier, PEMRA had also banned ARY Digital’s Jalanfor going against the “social and moral ethics of Pakistani society” and had also directed the makers of Fitoor to check for “inappropriate dialogues and content” in the drama.
Meanwhile, audiences have strongly criticised PEMRA’s notice and have called out the regulatory body for interfering unnecessarily.
Seriosuly. Pak has no child abuse issue, sex trafficking… bus close your eyes and u will live in lala land. God forbid if villagers or people are aware of social issues in Pak
Your comment about subject based stories reminded me of Shamoon Abbas’s movie. PEMRA needs to loosen up and allow content through, but also create a rating system and times slots for age appropriate content.
