Tag: trending

  • Hollywood has built an image of my country that I certainly don’t recognise: Mehwish Hayat

    Hollywood has built an image of my country that I certainly don’t recognise: Mehwish Hayat

    Mehwish Hayat makes Pakistan proud once again. The actor has received the Pride of Performance award from Norway’s Prime Minister Madam Erna Solberg for doing films which are based on women empowerment and for spreading the message of peace on multiple national and international platforms.

    Mehwish shared the video of herself receiving the award from Norway’s PM on Twitter. The host of the event gave her a stellar introduction and said that they are “proud to have her here in Norway.”

    Taking to the podium, Mehwish thanked the Norway PM and government for bestowing her the honour before speaking about films and regional peace.

    “It is fitting that we are here in Oslo this evening, the home of the Nobel Peace Prize,” Mehwish began. “Peace is something that unfortunately my country Pakistan has not known since its inception. We have been embroiled in one conflict or another for as long as I can remember. For us in Pakistan, peace has become a relative state of mind,” Mehwish said.

    She continued, “Even as I speak today, we are yet again in another conflict with our neighbours over Kashmir, which literally blew up last week.”

    Mehwish remarked that as an actor she could very easily just do her films and forget about the rest.

    “Cinema is a very powerful tool. It has the ability to change people’s mind, behaviour and attitude. I sincerely believe that Hollywood films and programs vilifying my country and portraying us as terrorists has had a profound effect on the psyche of the West. It has greatly influenced what people think of Pakistan.”

    Naming a few films, she commented that “Hollywood has built an image of my country that I certainly don’t recognise.”

    “A country branded a terrorist, we have lost over 70,000 lives and billions since 2001. That is more than any other country. But where is that being shown?” Mehwish questioned, adding that these films which portray a negative image of Muslims have fueled Islamaphobia.

    Mehwish then took on Bollywood. She said that it is one of the largest film industries in the world and they had the power to bring us [Pakistan and India] together.

    “But what do they do?” Mehwish said, “They make countless films showing Pakistanis as the villains. I have lost count of the number of films in the last year where Pakistan has been shown in bad light.”

    She said that she understands that one has to appear patriotic but if “we want some peace in the future, we as artists need to see beyond nationalism and take a stance.”

    She said that she believes that through films, we can present a more “nuanced picture” of the country. Mehwish said, “there is more to us than gun-breeding terrorists and subjugated women.”

    Mehwish then addressed India directly and said that they need to decide whether their nationalism is more important or a peaceful future is. She finished off her speech with a quote from Prime Minister Imran Khan, which was met with huge applause.

    “If they [India] are willing to take one step forward [towards peace], we are willing to take ten steps.”

  • QUIZ: Which Pakistani Flick Should You Watch on Eid?

    QUIZ: Which Pakistani Flick Should You Watch on Eid?

  • Priyanka Chopra’s response to a Pakistani woman on war infuriates people

    Priyanka Chopra’s response to a Pakistani woman on war infuriates people

    When a Pakistani woman confronted Priyanka Chopra at a beauty event in Los Angeles for warmongering, the actor did not have the wisest of response. In fact, her response came across as crass, callous and unbecoming of someone who is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

    As Chopra was taking questions at BeautyCon, the Pakistani woman Ayesha Malik, called the Bollywood star 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 posted on Twitter. “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 started off her response by saying “Whenever you’re done venting … got it, done? Okay, cool.”

    She then said, “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.”

    “The way you came at me right now?” Chopra 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 response and comments did not impress anyone and people were mostly infuriated with her condescending tone and attitude.

    Ayesha later took to Twitter to share her side of the story.

    In case you missed it, Priyanka in a tweet on February 26, cheered an announcement from India that it had launched airstrikes in Pakistan.

    The airstrikes escalated tensions between the two countries and everyone was fearing war. Tensions between the two continues are currently high again after India suspended Article 370 which granted Indian occupied Kashmir a special status.

    Meanwhile, Pakistanis have taken to Twitter to express their anger and disgust at Priyanka.

  • Hamza Ali Abbasi is an ‘ISI agent’: Indian media claims

    Hamza Ali Abbasi is an ‘ISI agent’: Indian media claims

    Hamza Ali Abbasi’s stance on current affairs, especially regarding Kashmir, appears to have caused quite a stir across the border, so much so that the actor has been labelled an “ISI stooge” by Indian media outlets.

    Republic TV in a clip posted to Twitter said that Kashmiris are welcoming Article 370 while “a desperate ISI is using its stooges to spread fake news on Kashmir.” They went onto say that the television channel has identified multiple verified handles which are being used for information warfare. The media outlet called out Twitter for being biased and asked them to remove these handles.

    One of those “stooges” was Hamza who has been accused of trying to “destabilise the peace and calm in Jammu and Kashmir and create disaffection within the boundaries of India.” Pictures of Hamza with Hafiz Saeed were used as a backdrop to the conversation.

    Apart from being an actor, Hamza was also referred to as a “communal aide of Prime Minister Imran Khan”

    But here’s what Hamza had tweeted on Kashmir and Article 370.

    What’s even more interesting is that the Indian media claims that they have silenced the “fake news handlers” by exposing them, when in reality, the reason Hamza is not active on Twitter is because he has gone for Hajj.

    Meanwhile, the Indian media also accused Zaid Hamid of being a “convicted criminal.” Along with that, he was also called “an assault rifle-happy former Pak Army veteran-turned ‘security analyst’.”

  • Gandapur announces heading to LoC, leading from front if war breaks out

    Gandapur announces heading to LoC, leading from front if war breaks out

    As tensions soar on either side of the border, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has announced heading to the Line of Control (LoC) and leading from the front if a war breaks out.

    Heavy troop movements reportedly continue along the LoC in both Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and the Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) after India revoked Article 370 of its constitution last Monday.

    The move that snatched away the disputed territory’s autonomy, can lead to the ethnic cleansing of Muslims and ultimately result in the transformation of the region into majority-Hindu.

    READ: Articles 370 and 35A explained

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Gandapur on Friday eulogised those who had laid their lives for the Kashmir cause and said that if India imposed war, he would be in the forefront in fighting the occupying forces.

    “The entire nation stands in solidarity with Kashmir and if needs be, I will head to the LoC to fight the war,” the minister added.

    In an earlier statement, Gandapur had said that Kashmir was the country’s jugular vein and every Pakistani was ready to fight for it till death. He had further said that the country’s armed forces were ready to befittingly respond to any Indian misadventures.

  • Indian guy dumps BMW in river after father refuses to buy Jaguar

    Indian guy dumps BMW in river after father refuses to buy Jaguar

    The son of a landlord in Haryana, India pushed his brand new BMW car into a river after his father rejected his request of buying a new Jaguar car.

    As per reports, the boy also made a video of himself pushing the high-end BMW car into the river and later posted the video on social media. The car got stuck in the middle of the river due to a patch of tall grass.

    Later, the youth was seen trying to get the car out of the river with the help of local divers. Local police have registered a case in the matter.

    It seems like the car is either a BMW 3-Series or a 5-Series meaning the cost of the drowned BMW is no less than 35 Lakh Indian Rupees which translates to more than 70 lakh Pakistani Rupees.

  • Kashmir crisis: Russia steps up to support India

    Kashmir crisis: Russia steps up to support India

    Russia has come out in support of India’s move to revoke Article 370 of its constitution and integrate occupied Kashmir, which can lead to the ethnic cleansing of Muslims and transform the region into majority-Hindu.

    According to media reports, Moscow has become the first among the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to formally state that abrogation of the provision is “an internal matter for India”.

    “Moscow expects that Pakistan and India will not allow aggravation of the situation in the region due to the change by New Delhi in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was quoted as saying.

    “We proceed from the fact that the changes associated with the change in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir are within the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India,” it said.

    The ministry further said that Russia was a consistent supporter of peace between the two neighbouring countries.

    “We hope that the differences between them will be resolved by political and diplomatic means on a bilateral basis in accordance with the provisions of the Shimla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999.”

    Tensions are soaring between Pakistan and India after New Delhi on Monday revoked Article 370, which gave special status to held Kashmir and moved a separate bill to split the state into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

    Pakistan believes the move, other than snatching away occupied Kashmir’s autonomy, can pave way for a Muslim genocide as it allows people from all over India to settle in the disputed territory which could result in a massive demographic shift.

  • MS Dhoni spotted polishing military boots in occupied Kashmir

    MS Dhoni spotted polishing military boots in occupied Kashmir

    Former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, commonly known as MS Dhoni, has been spotted polishing military boots in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK), where he is serving the army.

    The 38-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, who holds the honourary rank of lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army Unit of the Indian army’s Parachute Regiment since 2011, had earlier made himself unavailable for the West Indies tour.

    He had then left for the troubled valley to undertake the duties of patrolling, guard and post for a period of 15 days starting July 31.

    “As requested by the officer and approved by army headquarters; he will be taking on the duties of patrolling, guard and post and would be staying with troops,” the Indian army had said in a statement issued last month.

    In the Men in Blue’s ongoing West Indies tour, the two teams are crossing swords in three T20s, three ODIs and two Test matches.

    Earlier, Dhoni was received with “Boom Boom Afridi” chants by the Kashmiris. Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi aka Boom Boom Afridi has been known to voice out his opinion when it comes to Kashmir.

    Recently, after the Indian government’s recent decision to scrap Article 370, Afridi had taken to Twitter to highlight the unprovoked aggression and crimes in IoK.

    He had also urged the United Nations (UN) to take action and asked United States (US) President Donald Trump to mediate on the matter.

  • Kashmir crisis: Taliban urge Pakistan, India to choose peace over violence

    Kashmir crisis: Taliban urge Pakistan, India to choose peace over violence

    As tensions soar after India revoked the special status of held Kashmir, Taliban have urged both Islamabad and New Delhi to refrain from taking any steps that could pave way for violence in the region.

    Pakistan has downgraded diplomatic ties with India and also suspended bilateral trade after the Indian parliament approved abrogating Article 370 of its constitution.

    The move that takes away autonomy from Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK), can lead to Muslim genocide in the disputed territory as people from all over India can now purchase properties there — resulting in major demographic changes.

    In a statement issued Thursday, Afghan Taliban expressed deep sadness over IoK’s special status being revoked and advised Pakistan and India to choose peace, stating that they themselves have gained bitter experiences from war and conflict.

    “Taliban have gained bitter experiences from war and conflict and urges peace and use of rational pathways to solve regional issues,” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahed said.

    The statement further said that linking the issue of Kashmir with that of Afghanistan by some parties will not aid in improving the crisis at hand because the issue of Afghanistan is not related nor should Afghanistan be turned into the theater of competition between other countries.

    It came after the leader of the opposition in National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif, compared Kashmir and Afghanistan in the parliament.

    “What kind of a deal is this that the Afghans enjoy and celebrate peace in Kabul, but in Kashmir, blood is shed? No, this is not acceptable for us,” the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader had said.

    However, the Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul has clarified that the Kashmir crisis would not affect the peace drive in Afghanistan.

  • Meesha Shafi’s childhood friend testifies in favour of Ali Zafar

    Meesha Shafi’s childhood friend testifies in favour of Ali Zafar

    A childhood friend of singer Meesha Shafi, who recorded her statement before a sessions court in the one billion defamation suit filed by singer/actor Ali Zafar, testified in favour of the plaintiff and refuted the allegations of sexual harassment against him.

    According to details, Sara Razee in her oral and written statement said that she has known Meesha since Grade 7 and Ali for almost 20 years. The witness said that she was present on both occasions where the alleged incidents of harassment took place and did not notice any odd behaviour by both the parties.

    Sara said that that on the occasion of Ali’s wife Ayesha Fazli’s birthday, she “didn’t notice anything out of order. Meesha was very normal with Ali Zafar and in fact she was sitting at his piano.”

    Talking about the other incident, which was Hassan Sheheryar Yaseen’s (HSY) party in February 2018, Sara said she met both the parties that night and Meesha was very excited to meet Ali.

    “I did not notice any reservation on Meesha’s part towards Ali,” she added.

    Two more prosecution witnesses were also present in the court, however, their testimonies were not recorded as Meesha’s senior counsel from the legal team was not available. As per her Instagram, Meesha is currently in Canada while Zafar is doing a series of concerts in the United States.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B0sSQfqAzpC/

    The hearing has been adjourned for September 8 when Razee will also be cross-examined by the defendant’s side.

    So far, 13 witnesses have testified in favour of Zafar, including three women and Meesha’s former manager Rizwan.