Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz and Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry met Shaan Shahid on Saturday to condole over his mother, Neelo Begum’s demise.
The ministers offered condolences on the death of actress and offered prayers for her.
Taking to Twitter, Shaan thanked Faraz and Chaudhry for visiting him and offering their prayers.
“Thank you for being a part of us,” wrote Shaan on Twitter. “The connection of the people and their representatives grows stronger when we share each other’s sorrows and joy.”
The actor also tagged Prime Minister Imran Khan, referring to him as a “true leader”, implying that PM Khan had also sent his condolences via the ministers. Earlier, PM Imran had expressed his condolences on social media.
Neelo Begum passed away at the age of 80 on January 31. She was suffering from cancer.
Meanwhile, earlier Shaan also penned a heartfelt note for his late mother and wished that his mother has reunited with his father Riaz Shahid in heaven.
When I lost my father you held me like a father… when I walked I walked in your footsteps…when I ran you were always there at the finish line smiling ..what you said became a law for me ..you started my journey and where you looked became my destination.. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/2IAgMcHlT8
together♥️ may you always be together in the gardens of heaven dad she is all yours keep her happy as she cherished every moment that she spent with you .. be happy go on long walks you have so much to talk about as the separation lasted 48 yrs. may the love story never end .. pic.twitter.com/k1MeC5EQhL
Engin Altan Düzyatan’s Pakistani host Kashif Zameer is in hot waters once again for imposing false allegations on Shaan Shahid.
As per details, Zameer posted a picture with the actor and alleged that Shaan had asked him whether foreign stars should be preferred over local artists.
In a social media post, Zameer wrote: “Last night, Pakistani superstar Shaan Bhai asked me whether it’s okay to employ foreign stars as brand ambassadors for our local brands instead of our artists. What should have my reply to that?”
In response, Shaan quickly denied the allegations, commenting: “Brother that’s not correct. I didn’t ask you anything like that. You requested to take a picture with me and I agreed to it because of Shafqat Cheema Sahab.”
Earlier, Kashif Zameer claimed that the Diriliş: Ertuğrul star will be visiting Pakistan soon. “Get ready for the Engin Kashif friendship blast,” said Kashif in an Instagram post.
Veteran film actress Firdous Begum has passed away at the age of 72 today (December 16) in Lahore.
According to reports, the actor had been admitted to a local hospital three days ago after she suffered a brain haemorrhage. Her family said that she was on the ventilator and that her condition had deteriorated rapidly. They further shared that the doctors tried their best but her situation worsened due to a paralysis attack after a brain haemorrhage.
The legendary actress, whose real name was Parveen, is best known for her roles in Heer Ranjha (1970), and Heer Sial (1965). She debuted with the film Fanoos (1963) before going on to deliver several hits including Khandaan, Malang, Lai Laag and Aurat. She also received the Best Actress Award for her role in the films Heer Ranjha, Aansoo and Ziddi.
Firdous Begum was considered as one of the classiest film actors of her time and was paired with the top Punjabi actors of her time including Habib-ur-Rehman, Lala Sudhir and Yusuf Khan.
Following her demise, Shaan and director Asim Raza took to social media to remember the late actor.
One by one the history will be inhaled by the present so it can give way to the future .it was our responsibility to preserve the work of these Legends, for the fuTure ,hope someday we will realise our loss may ALMIGHTY bless her soul.. and give her a place in heavens pic.twitter.com/CD2PXyeVt2
Shaan Shahid, known for his hard-hitting statements, called former finance minister Ishaq Dar “shameless to the core” after the latter’s interview with BBC HARDTalk went viral on social media.
The actor, in a social media post, wished that “Pakistani authorities were strong on accountability as these people are bad image for Pakistan”.
He also tagged Prime Minister Imran Khan in his tweet, requesting him to take action against the corrupt.
“Corrupt should be made an example of by putting them behind bars and strip them of all the assets they sold their soul to make,” wrote the actor further. “Let there be a wall of shame built and let their names be written there forever so the nation could see that lies never win no matter how rich they are.”
“Let it be known that honesty and truth will always remain our core values. Let the truth win for once. Pakistan Zindabad”, he concluded.
Later, when a Twitter asked Shaan: “Are you [an] actor or politician? Or [a] puppet like Shahbaz Gill?,” Shaan responded: “I’m a Pakistani first, who is hurt by the words and the actions of the corrupt. In cleaning themselves, they are dirtying the name of Pakistan.”
I’m a Pakistani first who is hurt by the words and the actions of the corrupt .. in cleaning themselves they are dirtying the name of Pakistan
Dar, who is in a self-imposed exile after corruption cases were filed against him, appeared on BBC News to talk about corruption charges, PML-N fight against the government, and NAB.
When the host asked Dar about the number of properties owned by his family. The PML-N leader responded, “It’s all in my tax returns.”
Upon the insistence of the host, he said: “I have my main residence in Pakistan which has been taken over by this regime… I haven’t got too many properties.”
“How many properties do you and your family own,” the host asked him again. At this, Dar said: “One.” At this, the show host asked him about the news reports in the Pakistan press that claim that the former PML-N minister owned multiple properties in and outside Pakistan. “You are sitting in London and you don’t own anything here,” the host asked Dar.
Dar responded that he doesn’t own any property in London or anywhere else as claimed by the media reports.
However, he went on to admit that his sons recently acquired a villa in Dubai. “They are adult and are in the business for the past 17 years,” he clarified.
Dar, 69, is currently in London, “undergoing medical treatment”. He is absconding from several cases in Pakistan since 2017 and has been declared a proclaimed offender by the courts. He is facing charges of accumulating assets beyond known sources of income.
Meanwhile, Shaan has often voiced his support for PM Khan and spoken against PML-N, Nawaz Sharif and his aides.
In a recent interview, Shaan had said that though he is not from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) or any other political party, he believes that Pakistan needs to give the PTI government, which came to power in 2018, more time to govern.
“The race is not yet finished,” said the actor. “Give him [PM Imran] enough time to prove himself. As a Pakistani, I feel that this [PTI government] is the last hope for democracy in the country.”
Chairman of the Special Committee of the Parliament on Kashmir Shehryar Afridi has announced the formation of a special advisory board, that will work in liaison with the entertainment industry in Jammu and Kashmir towards internationally promoting the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the valley and its people. The aim of the board is to highlight the plight of the Kashmiris under decades of Indian oppression.
I am pleased to announce formation of an Advisory Board for #KashmirCommittee comprising of top professionals from cinematic & sports spheres. This board will advise on measures to preserve & nurture heritage, culture & sports of #Jammu&Kashmir and its amalgamation with Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/ElS3Qh7nAc
According to a press release, the due to be notified board will be a “creative alliance of some of Pakistan’s top media personalities from the country’s television, cinematic and sporting spheres as well as in equal ratio some of J&K’s finest academics, thinkers and artists, and will be aimed at propagating Kashmir’s cultural richness both at home and abroad.”
The initiative is in line with Pakistan’s long-standing position, which is to promote the freedom of the Kashmiris from Indian oppression.
Actors and celebrities who have been invited to be part of the board include Humayun Saeed, Saba Qamar, Fahad Mustafa, Atif Aslam, Anwar Maqsood, Shaan Shahid, Ali Azmat, Yousaf Salahuddin, Saira Kazmi, Rahat Fateh Ali, Hadiqa Kiani, Shehzad Roy, Humaima Malick, Yousaf Salahuddin, Shaniera Akram, Adnan Siddiqui, Bilal Ashraf, Samina Peerzada and Shafqat Amanat Ali.
Film Producers Jerjees Seja, Momina Duraid and Ammara Hikmat have been chosen for the advisory role, while directors Syed Noor, Nadeem Baig and Bilal Lashari are also part of the list.
Meanwhile, sportspersons including Aisam ul Haq, Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan, Maria Toorpakai, Wasim Akram, Sana Mir and Karishma Ali have been also been invited to join.
In a tweet, Adnan Siddiqui said that the invitation to join the board was a “matter of great honour and immense pride for him”.
Matter of great honour & immense pride to be invited to join Cultural, Heritage and Sports Advisory Board for Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir. Thank you @ImranKhanPTI & @ShehryarAfridi1 for considering me worthy of shouldering this responsibility. Long Live Pakistan!
Shaan said that everyone must support every initiative taken for Kashmir.
“No political point scoring should be done on issues that are of immediate attention,” added the actor.
Bhai we must support every initiative taken for #Kashmir no political point scoring should be done on issues that are of immediate attention,all the respected artists &sports members of the committee can spread the message of #Kashmir Bhai we are not politicians support your own
In a recent interview with Arab News, Shaan said that though he is not from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) or any other political party, he believes that Pakistan needs to give the PTI government, which came to power in 2018, more time to govern.
“The race is not yet finished,” said the actor. “Give him [PM Imran] enough time to prove himself.”
He continued: “As a Pakistani I feel that this [PTI government] is the last hope for democracy in the country.”
Meanwhile, while talking about his criticism on the state-owned Pakistan Television (PTV) for airing Turkish series Diriliş: Ertuğrul, Shaan said that while the show was good, programmers at PTV need to “wake up and do their jobs”.
“You can’t control the content of private channels. They will make what they think is right,” said Shaan. “But… you’ve got a channel that’s beyond satellite and that’s PTV.”
“If PTV was producing what the Prime Minister thinks should be produced…I want to see that content,” added the actor. “I don’t know who’s doing the programming in PTV, but whoever it is needs to wake up and do his job.”
Sharing his thoughts on vulgarity and content censorship, the actor said: “Nobody can define what vulgarity is… but there should be a line that none should cross.”
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has announced that his ministry is all set to launch Pakistan’s first OTT (over-the-top) platform. An OTT media service is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms, the companies that traditionally act as a controller or distributor of such content.
In a tweet, the Minister said: “We at the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) are all set to launch Pakistan’s Version of Netflix,” adding that the technology part of the initiative is complete.
Chaudhry further said that he has directed PEMRA to “prepare a guideline on content” following which the platform will be launched in PPP (public private partnership) mode.
پاکستان کا پہلا OTT لانچ ہونے جا رہا ہے، (Netflix کی طرز پر) ہم نے ٹیکنالوجی کا معاملہ حل کر لیا ہے PEMRA کو کہا ہے کہ وہ Content پر گائیڈ لائین تیار کر لے جوں ہی پیمرا کی گائیڈ لائیں ملتی ہے ہم پارئیویٹ کمپنیز سے کہیں گے کہ ہمارے ساتھ ملیں اور OTT سروس شروع کریں
Speaking exclusively to The Current, Fawad said that his ministry will provide content creators with the technical support – such as compression technology – they need.
As far as the content on the platform is concerned, the Minister said that PEMRA has been directed to classify content keeping in mind international standards.
“Our aim is to put Pakistani content on the map and PEMRA has been asked to prepare guidelines keeping in mind the international market,” said Fawad, adding that with internet freedom, censorship is unlikely.
He also said that content on the platform will be different from what we usually see on television.
When asked what the payment process will be like given that the majority of Pakistani don’t have credit cards, Fawad said that the payment process will be simple and viewers will be able to pay through their mobile phones.
A new streaming platform will open new doors for Pakistani filmmakers and content creators giving them creative space and liberty. According to a recent report, Netflix has over 180 million subscribers worldwide, but only 100,000 in Pakistan as most Pakistanis do not have credits cards to pay for the service. This is one of the primary reasons why Netflix has not attempted to commission original Pakistani content, besides “weak storytelling, flawed screenplays and scripts that don’t meet international standards”.
India, on the other hand, has about 40 providers of OTT media services including Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney Plus.
Pakistan forayed into the digital world just recently with Churails, that was released on Indian streaming platform Zee5.
Senior PTI leader Senator Faisal Javed Khan, who is also the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Broadcasting and Heritage, lauded Fawad for his initiative.
Meanwhile, noted actors including Shaan Shahid, Humayun Saeed and Asad Siddiqui thanked the Minister for taking the initiative and introducing such platforms in Pakistan.
“It’s time we make our presence in the entertainment arena of the world,” said Shaan, while Humayun said this will “open doors of opportunities for many many talented people and eventually help Pakistan reach a truly global audience.”
It’s a brilliant effort by @fawadchaudhry it is time we make our presence in the entertainment arena of the world a new market for the content developers of Pakistan will give them freedom to work . Thankyou ♥️
This is such a great news! Thank you @fawadchaudhry and @MinistryofST for this much needed initiative. It will open doors of opportunities for many many talented people and eventually help Pakistan reach a truly global audience. Insha Allah https://t.co/d8vKJmCmEW
However, Osman Khalid Butt remarked that PEMRA should not be allowed to prepare a content guideline for the platform.
Can someone – literally anyone else prepare this content guideline. Let’s not forget PEMRA issued a show-cause notice to Udaari over ‘immoral content’ because it was highlighting child abuse. https://t.co/S6ZfuOJkUr
With the Pakistan Democratic Movement holding rallies in different parts of the countries in a bid to oust the government, Sanam Saeed has criticised them for “creating more mess and chaos like always”.
“Utter disgrace,” remarked the actor.
However, the actor received immense criticism for her tweet following which she later deleted it.
She is stuck in SUV while Mariam Nawaz drives in her Mehran all day long…definitely some leader material
Meanwhile, other members of the entertainment industry including Shaan Shahid, Haroon Shahid and Omair Rana have condemned Capt (r) Safdar and PML-N for raising slogans at the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and jumping over the grill surrounding the grave.
Don’t use quaid for political mileage..I strongly condemn this act on mizar e Quaid by the opposition . Yeh log Apnay jhoot ko sach kernay kai liyay quaid ka Sahara laitay hain inka quaid London mai hai Karachi main nahee .qaid e Azam is & will always be the symbol of the pure . pic.twitter.com/fVUVAKhCnT
Hey @BBhuttoZardari Sir, could you please look into the matter? As Policing is a provincial subject, this might interest you.
Oh wait, you must have run into him at the #PDMKarachiJalsa and given him a warning Haina? Well it’s not like he did this at Gari Khuda Bukhsh. Haina? https://t.co/Ci9vspqEBi
Adnan Siddiqui may have shared the screen with international superstars such as Sri Devi and Angelina Jolie, but it is Humayun Saeed and Shaan Shahid who left him starstruck.
Sharing a black and white picture of himself with the two actors from Humayun’s brother Salman Saeed’s wedding, Adnan said: “It has taken me 10 days to realise the full extent of being in the same frame as these two.”
“I saw the photo being widely circulated on social media, among friends and colleagues but I couldn’t react. So starstruck I was with the moment long after it had passed,” he continued.
“I am forever thankful to Shaan Shahid and Humayun Saeed —legendary stars of Pakistani industry for being gracious enough to agree to a photo with me, and also for letting me literally be the centre of attraction,” he added.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CF7TdYMnHfG/
While Humayun and Shaan are yet to respond to Adnan’s comments, Aijaz Aslam commented: “Rula diya paglay“.
Meanwhile, Adnan also shared that he will be reading Elif Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love next after Prime Minister Imran Khan recommended everyone to read it.
On my list for next read ‘The 40 Rules of Love.’ Thank you for the recommendation @ImranKhanPTI . Great reason to finally pick it up from my bookshelf where it’s been lying for months! Hope it inspires me as much! #bibliophile#goodreadspic.twitter.com/FPDAHSphow
Humayun Saeed’s younger brother Salman Saeed got married in Lahore Friday night and the wedding ceremony was a star-studded affair with Adnan Siddiqui, Shaan Shahid, Imran Ashraf, Ahmed Ali Butt, Vasay Chaudhry, Nadeem Baig, Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar and Azhar Ali in attendance.
