TV fans were left heartbroken when popular actor, screenwriter and host of the late night comedy show ‘Mazaaq Raat’ Vasay Chaudhry left the show. There was a lot of anticipation about who would be the next person to fill Chaudhry’s shows. Last week it was revealed that the next host would be none other than Imran Ashraf.
A week ago, Ashraf officially began his stint as a television host, requested fans for their love and prayers in an Instagram post.
“Apki muhabbat aur dua ki hamaisha ki tarah zaroorat hai.”
Celebrities like Humayun Saeed, Yasir Hussain and Hira Mani flooded the comments section with positive accolades, and sending their prayers to the ‘Ranjha Ranjha Kardi’ actor for his show.
In a recent post, Imran thanked his fans and everyone else for the love and support he was receiving.
The Jaranwala attacks have shocked the entire nation after the town’s Christian community came under siege on Wednesday by a violent mob. Speaking to The Current, a local resident said violence broke out after a Christian father tried preventing a group of boys from harassing his daughter.
“This is a case of harassment. A girl from the Christian community was being teased by some members of the Muslim community and when her father and brother tried to stop them, allegations of blasphemy were raised.”
Since the incident went viral on social media, politicians including Interim Prime Minister of Pakistan Anwaar ul Haq Kakar have come forward to condemn the riots. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) the Premier said that strict action would be taken against those who violate the law and target minorities.
I am gutted by the visuals coming out of Jaranwala,#Faisalabad. Stern action would be taken against those who violate law and target minorities. All law enforcement has been asked to apprehend culprits and bring them to justice. Rest assured that the government of Pakistan stands… https://t.co/GHWUGA1NNq
Celebrities in Pakistan like activist and singer Shehzad Roy have taken to social media to condemn the incident and called for justice for the Christian community residing in Jaranwala.
“If the state does not arrest each and every person involved in it through video footage and make an example, then we are doomed,” tweeted the ‘Laga Re’ singer.
Pehlay bolnay se dartay thay, Ab na bolain to dar lagta hai… “If the state does not arrest each and every person involved in it through video footage and make an example, then we are doomed @anwaar_kakarhttps://t.co/U25W1SEkTu
‘Kuch Ankahi’ actress Sajal Aly called the violent attack ‘shameful’ and tweeted that there is no place for violence in religion.
Such a Shamfull act! Absolutely heartbroken & disgusted. I strongly condemn this act of violence against minorities. Praying for unity and peace. https://t.co/KS9vBksiw6
Actress Azekah Daniel slammed the incident as ‘not Jinnah’s Pakistan’ and asked why do people not show the same respect to a church that they demand for a mosque. She also called on mainstream media organisations and journalists of Pakistan to report against the growing ethnic violence against Christians in Pakistan.
“This is NOT Jinnah’s Pakistan! I strongly condemn this atrocity against the Christian community. Why can’t show some respect for Holy places be it a Church or a Mosque? I stand against these atrocities and unjust acts of violence! I DEMAND JUSTICE FOR ALL”
This is NOT Jinnah’s Pakistan! I strongly condemn this atrocity against the Christian community. Why can’t show some respect for Holy places be it a Church or a Mosque? I stand against these atrocities and unjust acts of violence! I DEMAND JUSTICE FOR ALL https://t.co/agfgYOgyEp
“Today we are witnessing the beginning of ethnic cleansing in Pakistan. Pakistani Christians are being persecuted,Church burnt down & the whole colony ablazed,will you raise your voice for us?”
Dear Mainstream Media & Journalists of Pakistan, Today we are witnessing the beginning of ethnic cleansing in Pakistan. Pakistani Christians are being persecuted,Church burnt down & the whole colony ablazed,will you raise your voice for us? #Faisalabad#CryWithUs#PrayWithUs
Pakistani singer Asad Abbas has passed has passed away from double kidney failure. His death comes a few weeks after he went viral on social media, asking for financial aid to battle the disease. His official Facebook page has shared a post announcing his death, stating that the Coke Studio singer had fought till the end.
Asad Abbas, who had also sang the popular OST for the drama ‘Raqs-e-Bismil’, gave an interview to Daily Pakistan where he revealed he needed Rs 50 million for his treatment, confessing that his family had spent all their savings to fund his kidney transplant. Actors Imran Ashraf Awan and Adnan Siddiqui had come to the aid of the singer, requesting his followers to help Asad Abbas as he battled financial distress.
Abbas had begun singing at age fourteen, rising to fame after winning the Pakistan Sangeet Icon competition. He was once the lead singer for the Meekal Hassan Band , and had also sung the track ‘Mahi Gal’ for Coke Studio Season 6.
Khudkaar, now known as xWave, started when Wardah Noor, 23, visited far-flung areas of district Layyah during a ration drive in the lockdown period. She observed how laborers were distraught while their economic conditions worsened day by day. That urged her to start something sustainable in case such circumstances arise again and “people have something to eat at home.” She decided to take a gap year from her university and work on the idea for a couple of months.
She was enrolled in B.A. LLB from LUMS at the time. The first half of Wardah’s gap year was consumed in traveling across Pakistan including KP and Sindh, visiting different institutes in Karachi, and residing in Islamabad for some time to see what is happening in other cities. That’s when she learned that skills training and development is something that might result into sustainability. In the second half, she started crowdfunding; her friends who were running other social ventures donated laptops, furniture, books and, “that’s how we started in Layyah.”
Today for me in pictures: Out of 10 people who joined stage, 7 were women and that is what’s gonna change the future. More representation, more say and more power. SO SO HAPPY SEEING THESE WOMEN PARTICIPATE. @khudkaarpic.twitter.com/PLRLO3j7xD
“During crowdfunding, we asked people that a minimum of Rs100 and a maximum of whatever they can pledge for a year. We used to meet our monthly expenditures, and for furniture, different people donated different things,” she said. She started the venture in a room at her home where they initially made a computer lab and, in another section, women were taught stitching.
She was able to secure The Spark Fund- Global Fund for Children through which they managed the finances for next year. Till now they are crowdfunding and simultaneously applying for grants. Recently they have started enrolling wealthy students who pay a certain amount of fee which helps in covering a small part of expenditure. She believes that this venture has given a direction to her life.
“This has given me a purpose which gives me satisfaction too. I have the energy to get up every morning and work on this idea. I initiated another startup during my gap year. I prepared a curriculum for overseas Pakistanis to give them Urdu tuition and I taught people the Urdu language because it is not their first language,” she added.
She explains that this helped her in saving money, but it distracted her from her focus. She eventually took a decision at the start of this year, ending the Urdu tuition startup and giving all her energies to enhance xWave. The salary she has started drawing from xWave after a donor’s funding is 5 times less than what she was earning from her Urdu startup, but this gives her satisfaction, and she is determined to live and die for the cause. What gives her energy, and an adrenaline rush is knowing the success stories of her students and fellows.
Happy to share that I am starting a new venture named @xWavePak , going to Balochistan and Sindh tomorrow.
We will be training youth of flood affected areas in web 3.0 technologies in the first phase & our target is to create economic impact of $14M in the next 10 years. pic.twitter.com/jFRPSmVD0I
Shazia Gull, a 23-year-old young woman, hailing from Layyah couldn’t continue her studies due to personal reasons. She used to stay at home and got to know about this center through her cousin. She secured admission there and started learning illustration and 2D animation. She had no source of earnings prior to this.
She says, “I am working on multiple projects, I have a full-time job at xWave, and earning a good amount of money. I am instructing about teaching-related courses at Coursera to enhance my skills and earn more.”
Another student of xWave, Muhammad Zain Abbas, also a resident of Layyah, got to know about this institute through his college teacher. He joined last year to learn video editing. “I made my account on Fiver a year ago and I have earned 150 dollars so far. I bought a decently working mobile phone as it was important for my work and I am hopeful that I will earn around 5000 dollars per month in the future,” he said.
Afshan kawal, a student of video editing living in Layyah, has shown remarkable dedication and hard work in pursuing her passion for video editing.
According to data released by the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication (MoITT), 2022 saw a growth of 2.74% as the remittance inflows stood at $397.328 Million as compared to 396.243 Million in 2021. There were around 3 Million freelancers in Pakistan in 2022, as per the report released by MoITT, which have possibly increased in 2023.
Pakistani freelancers earn an average of $20 per hour, and the majority of freelancers in Pakistan are under the age of 30. The most popular payment gateway for freelancers in Pakistan is Payoneer. The global freelance industry is valued at $3.5 Billion, and the Pakistan industry accounts for 9% of the global market.
According to data released by Payoneer and Upwork, women make up 47% of the freelance market in Pakistan, which is more than the 35% global average.
40% of freelancers in Pakistan are from Punjab, 29.5% from Sindh, 14.7% from KPK, 10.5% from Balochistan, and 5.3% from Azad Kashmir.
Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi collectively account for 88% of Pakistan’s freelancing industry.
Wardah Noor is an inspiration for young Pakistanis, and she advises others to dream big.
“Keep struggling, you have unlimited opportunities and endless avenues to learn from. Don’t look for shortcuts to be rich overnight; learn as many skills as you can consistently. You can achieve anything in your life,” she says.
It’s been five years since Bollywood superstar Sridevi passed away in 2018 from accidental drowning in Dubai, leaving behind a celebrated legacy with films like ‘Chandni’, ‘English Vinglish’ and ‘Mr India’. The beloved Indian actress starred with Pakistani actors Sajal Aly and Adnan Siddiqui in the 2017 release ‘Mom’, and the two have always remembered her in fond words.
Aly commemorated the Bollywood icon by sharing a picture of her on her Instagram stories with the caption “Happy Birthday! I miss you”.
In an interview with BBC Asian Network, Aly had praised the late actress, stating that she was “like a mother to me” and discussed her experience of working with her on ‘Mom’ by recalling how kind the ‘Mr India’ actress was to her.
“…The first thing a good person and a good actor would do is make the other person comfortable,” the ‘Ye Dil Mera’ actress gushed. “She was that kind of actor. She had a lot of empathy and kindness towards me. For instance, I had that one scene where I was wearing this red dress and when I got ready she was like ‘Oh! You should curl your hair more!’ She was acting like a mother to me, although she was just a co-star. But the fact that she cared about how I’m looking and how I could look better, that is something that stole my heart.”
The host recounted meeting Sridevi for an interview for a film at her house, where she praised Sajal, by saying she’s someone “you need to lookout for.”
“I didn’t know she said that about me, but of course in some interviews she pra
ised my acting a lot. These kind of compliments, I get scared because I feel the pressure. I never talk about her a lot and the relationship we had, it’s something I can’t explain. Because it was really real.”
Aly was also close to Sridevi’s daughter Janhvi Kapoor, whom she could emotionally connect with because both of their moms had passed away.
“We met after six years[in Dubai],” recalled Aly. “When my mother had passed away as well as hers. Probably because of our mothers as well we got a lot more closer. So I connect with her and she connects with me. We used to keep in touch but then she started her career and she’s busy with that.”
Kapoor shared a picture of her mother on set on her Instagram, writing that she wished her mother was still here today.
“And today as I’m on a set on your birthday I wish more than ever I had you with me like this, so we could convince everyone it was actually your 35th and not 60th birthday. And you could tell me if I’m pushing myself hard enough or not. And I could see in your eyes if I was making you proud. I know you’d be happy seeing us try, in your memory. Every day. I love you, you are the most special woman on this planet.”
The National Icon Awards 2023 were held on Sunday with the top celebrities of Pakistan in attendance to watch their colleagues be honored for contributions to the field of arts and culture.
Popular A-listers like Mawra Hocane, Wahaj Ali and Fawad Khan were present at the ceremony.
Actor Wahaj Ali received the National Icon Award 2023, while veteran actors Meera and Resham watched on along with the outgoing Minister for Information, Marriyum Aurangzeb.
Nadia Jamil shared a clip of the outfit she wore to the awards, thanking Marriyum Aurangzeb for recognising an industry that had been aching for the respect and support of the state.
I don’t dress up a lot. And I never go to award ceremonies. But could not refuse Sultana Siddiqui Apas invite and decided to attend an award ceremony and enjoy spending some time amongst our industries most dazzling stars. Was humbling to meet the foundations of our industry.… pic.twitter.com/h8jlYhrNVb
The actress also lauded producer Zulfikaar’s comments on the need for smaller cinemas which are cheaper, since bigger cinemas charge around Rs 1500-2000 per person to watch a film.
Most important comment I heard tonight at the ceremony at Gov House was from pioneering producer of the industry Zulfikar Sahab about how the need of the day is small cinemas all Around the country. The big cinemas are expensive with tickets worth 1500-2000 rps. We need smaller…
Producer and actor Humayun Saeed called it a “privilege and honor” to be acknowledged by the state, and praised them for implementing the Film and Music Legislation which will help revive the film industry.
A privilege & honour to be acknowledged by the state. Thank you Government of Pakistan for not just the Icon Award but also for finally implementing the long awaited Film & Music Legislation facilitating the film industry in more ways than one @GovtofPakistan@Marriyum_Apic.twitter.com/JZ03VoNfsG
Actor Fawad Khan spoke about hoping that the film industry becomes independent to the point that it doesn’t need to rely on the government for support.
Update: According to the police, the man who was arrested for harassing actress Srha Asghar has walked free while the FIR against him will be dismissed due to non-cooperation of the complainant.
Geo News reports that Inspector Javed Babar has said that when the harasser was produced in court on Friday, he denied the allegations. The actress was summoned to appear in court by the female judge, but she didnt arrive, nor was any evidence of the incident produced.
“Even the clothes torn during the incident or eyewitnesses of the incident requested by the police and the court were not produced,” he said.
TRIGGER WARNING: discussion of harassment
In a horrifying case, actress Srha Asghar reportedly filed a First Information Report (FIR) against a man, Asim, when he allegedly tried sexually assaulting her outside her home in Karachi. The FIR was registered at Shah Faisal Police Station on the complaint of Srha’s husband, Umar Murtaza.
According to Police officials, the incident took place in August when the actress left her house to go to the nearby market to get groceries. A man kept following her back home and cat-called her. Asghar’s statement further revealed the man tried groping her which resulted in her clothes getting torn.
The actress then rung the doorbell after which her husband came outside, which led to a fight between him and the assaulter. After which, the assaulter was taken to the police station by Umar and their neighbors.
Srha and her husband have refused to give comments to media, but the actress did post a note on her Instagram stories where she slammed media organisations for including personal information on their news to get ratings, telling them to stop calling her:
“I want every media person to stop messaging me about the incident, shame on them for calling me and my husband continuously for an interview for your ratings! And shame on the news channel who attached all the personal info with the incident! We ae safe Alhumdulillah!”
Mayi Ri looks to be an exceptional project, with a strong female lead in which women empowerment and the importance of education for girls will be highlighted. Aina Asif is a talented up-and-coming star who at a young age has already starred in dramas with big storylines.
We are brilliantly reintroduced to the frightening reality of child marriages in the recently released drama. ‘Mayi Ri’ urges us to consider the terrible effects of this deeply ingrained practice through its striking images and compelling storytelling.
This drama video bravely illuminates the mental, physical, and psychological hardships faced by kids forced into young adulthood who have to cope with an environment for which they are unprepared.
The drama aims to question the accepted beliefs about child marriage and highlight the value of empowerment, especially for young girls. The Pakistani entertainment sector is a change catalyst because of its wide impact. It has the potential to increase public awareness of and motivate group initiatives to address problems like child marriage. “Mayi Ri” seeks to start a constructive society reform by bringing such issues to light.
The two actors appearing in the trailer are child actor Aina Asif and Samar Jaffri, a brand-new face in the industry. This will be his debut role. The rest of the cast consists of Nauman Ejaz, Haniya Ahmed, Maria Wasti, Rimha Ahmed, Saad Zameer Faridi, Sajida Syed, Paras Masroor, Amna Malik, Diya Mughal, Usman Mazhar, Faham Usman, Sameena Nazir, and Bisma Babar, among others.
Actress Mahira Khan is about to attempt changing the Pakistani entertainment industry for good by bringing forward an array of unique projects. Yesterday, author Faiqa Mansab announced on her Instagram page that the actress, along with producer Nina Kashif had brought the rights to her novel ‘This House Of Clay And Water’ under the banner of Soul Fry Films. Mahira is grounded yet a true superstar, the novelist wrote, adding that her book is in good hands:
“I am so happy to have Mahira and Nina at the helm for this project because they really get the essence of this story. I was immediately won over by Mahira, who is grounded and yet a true superstar. In a few words she showed me how deeply she understood my novel. Few people have shown such insight. My novel is in extremely good hands. I look forward to seeing it on screen. Thank you to all who believe in my stories!”
In a statement released to Book Brunch, Mahira and Nina called the novel “one of the most poetic pieces of writing”:
‘This book is one of the most poetic pieces of writing that we have come across from our part of the world. Each character stays with you, you feel invested in all of them. A story that is so different and yet so rooted. It would be an honor for us to adapt it for our screen audience. We are so grateful to Faiqa for putting her trust in us with what we feel is a piece of her heart, and now ours.”
‘The House Of Clay And Water’ was released in May 2017 and explores the lives of two women, Nida and Sasha and how they navigate a world that makes them feel alienated.
Veteran actress Juveria Abbasi’s daughter Anzela Abbasi recently got married in a lavish ceremony to Tashfeen Ansari, however many were quick to point out that her father, Shamoon Abbasi, was not present during the ceremony.
Abbasi posted a cryptic note on his Instagram stories during the wedding, writing about wanting to remove “shameless people” from his life:
“I never wanted to be attached or known to have anything with impudent and immodest, shameless people in my life and never I will… no matter what my relationship with them I prefer to stay away from them no matter what!”
The couple divorced after ten years together, after which the actress has been vocal about how she loves being single during an interview with Fuchsia Magazine:
“Our society loves telling women that they cannot survive in this world if they don’t have a husband to take care of them. But I don’t encourage this kind of thought process because it was not difficult for me at all. I have a good job from where I earn a good amount which allows me to have a comfortable lifestyle and also take care of my daughter. I’m proud of the person she has become since she’s well educated, well groomed and now is also working as an actress.”
Many users expressed anger at how publicly Shamoon was disowning his daughter and creating controversy on a special day. However, celebrities like Shahood Alvi, Ushna Shah came forward to publicly praise Juvaria for raising her daughter to become an accomplished, beautiful woman. Alvi praised Abbasi for going through all the tough times and coming out to be an even stronger, confident woman in spite of all that she has undergone:
“I’ve always witnessed you being a great single parent, the amount of love and support you’ve shown her throughout life even after undergoing all the pain and challenges. Now that you’ve wedded her off in a great family. I’m so proud of you because I saw you struggle everyday and in your worst times, which is why i’m extremely thrilled for you! You’ve done a great job dost!”
Actress Ushna Shah praised Juvaria for raising Anzeela all on her own as a single mother, and making her into a strong, king and well-rounded person:
“I know what it means for a single mother to wed her daughter to the best of her ability, I saw how happy it made my mother and I saw how happy it had made you.”
Social media users also praised Juvaria’s grace and strong-spirit to refuse to let her bitter ex-husband’s resentment destroy such an important day for her daughter, as one user lamented how society doesn’t acknowledge the strengths of single mothers
my hearttt. she’s so blessed to have a friend like him. meanwhile her asshole ex-husband tried his best to ruin her daughter’s wedding day. we as a society just don’t praise and acknowledge the struggles and ability of single mothers who raise their children on their own. pic.twitter.com/QQqO85e5Sw
Other’s came forward to defend Anzala’s choice of wedding outfits, pointing out that this was her special day and its about time people stopped telling brides how they should dress up on their big day!
Oh no another happy bride? That is definitely heartbreaking in a country where women are killed for saying no to proposals, burned to death for dowry, or divorced for having a daughter. Plus it’s been a while since we bullied Ushna Shah at her wedding so time for a new target! https://t.co/ljXO2sa7gY
