On Saturday, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan tweeted:
“I want to express our solidarity with the people of India as they battle a dangerous wave of COVID-19. Our prayers for a speedy recovery go to all those suffering from the pandemic in our neighbourhood & the world. We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together.”
I want to express our solidarity with the people of India as they battle a dangerous wave of COVID-19. Our prayers for a speedy recovery go to all those suffering from the pandemic in our neighbourhood & the world. We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed support for the people of India in the current wave of COVID-19.
We express our support to the people of India in the wake of the current wave of #COVID19 infections, that has hit our region hard. On behalf of the people of Pakistan, I extend our heartfelt sympathies to the affected families in #India.
Apart from PM Imran and cabinet ministers, Pakistanis also expressed their solidarity with India. #PakistanStandsWithIndia trended as number 1 on Twitter.
The hashtag #PakistanstandswithIndia represents the best side of Pakistan. We must choose solidarity and empathy over hate and enmity. Only peace and cooperation in our region can help us prepare for existing and coming disasters.
Humayun Saeed, who was recently awarded the Pride of Performance from President Dr Arif Alvi for his contributions to the drama and film industries of Pakistan, received a marriage proposal on social media from an Indian fan.
“Will you marry me? I know you are married,” wrote the user on Twitter. “But kya hi karun iss dil ka.”
“I am from India and I love you like hell,” she said further, adding: “I am 24 years younger than you, but seriously [I] love you.”
“Will you marry me in next janam” she then asked. “This janam not possible”.
Replying to the proposal Humayun said: “Mujhe pyar karne ka shukria (Thank you for your love). Magar shaadi ke liye InshAllah aapko mujhse behtar log milenge (But you will find someone better to marry).”
After getting a reply from Humayun, the Twitter user could not contain her excitement, saying that she felt like crying with happiness.
Earlier, Shehzad Roy had also received a marriage proposal on Twitter to which the singer had had a hilarious response.
Shahid Afridi believes that cricket can play an important role in normalising the relationship between Pakistan and India.
According to a report in Cricket Pakistan, the former captain of the Pakistan Cricket Team, while speaking to media said: “Cricket between Pakistan and India is very important. Sports should be kept away from politics. Relations between the two countries can improve because of cricket.”
Afridi further said: “I have said this before as well, Indian cricketers enjoy coming to Pakistan. You can improve relationships through sports but if you don’t want to improve them then they will remain the same.”
Afridi enjoys good relations with Indian cricketers and even hosted them at his home when they visited Karachi.
Last year in February, Shoaib Akhtar had also highlighted the importance of bilateral series between India and Pakistan saying: “It is very important for India and Pakistan to play a bilateral series because it generates money, revenue, fan following and inspiration.”
Meanwhile, it is being reported that two neighbouring countries might soon be engaged in a bilateral series.
According to a report published in Jang, “India and Pakistan might soon get involved in bilateral cricket series again with a possibility of the six-day window for a three-match T20I series later in the year.”
The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan was held in 2012-13.
Priyanka Chopra, in her memoir Unfinished, has reportedly talked about tense Indo-Pak relations and has hoped that things would improve between the two countries.
BBC Asian Network journalist Haroon Rashid, who recently posted a teaser of his upcoming podcast with the actor, while responding to a social media user who asked if he asked Priyanka about her comments on the February 27 Balakot incident, said: “She talks in her book about her hopes for harmony between India and Pakistan giving a lovely anecdote of how a Pakistani British Airways agent gave her parents a seat on a flight when they really needed it.”
“She said she hoped the countries could share such warm exchanges always.”
“And you’ll have to find out if I ask her more on her increasing public silence when the full interview releases,” he added.
Haroon further shared that Priyanka in the podcast talks about “lack of opportunities for South Asians in Hollywood” and “how important her humanitarian work is to her.”
Earlier, in July 2019, Priyanka had sparked outrage with her response to a Pakistani woman Ayesha Malik, who had called her a hypocrite for “encouraging nuclear war against Pakistan”.
“So it was kind of hard hearing you talk about humanity because as your neighbour, a Pakistani, I know you’re a bit of a hypocrite,” Malik can be heard saying in the video widely circulated on social media. “You tweeted on February 26, ‘Jai Hind #IndianArmedForces.’”
Malik continued, “You are a UNICEF ambassador for peace and you’re encouraging nuclear war against Pakistan. There’s no winner in this. As a Pakistani, millions of people like me have supported you in your business of Bollywood and you wanted nuclear war.”
However, the microphone was taken away from Malik before she could make any further comments.
Priyanka had started off her response by saying “Whenever you’re done venting… got it, done? Okay, cool.”
“So, I have many, many friends from Pakistan and I am from India, and war is not something that I am really fond of but I am patriotic. So, I’m sorry if I hurt sentiments to people who do love me and have loved me, but I think that all of us have a sort of middle ground that we all have to walk, just like you probably do as well,” she continued.
“The way you came at me right now?” Chopra had remarked. “Girl, don’t yell. We’re all here for love. Don’t yell. Don’t embarrass yourself. But we all walk that middle ground, but thank you for your enthusiasm and your question and your voice.”
Priyanka’s memoir Unfinished, which released on February 9, has become a bestseller, trending in both India and the United States.
