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  • Hum TV, President Alvi honour inspiring women leaders

    Hum TV, President Alvi honour inspiring women leaders

    “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.

  • Mawra Hocane, Aiman Khan respond to ‘body shaming’ controversy

    Mawra Hocane, Aiman Khan respond to ‘body shaming’ controversy

    Mawra Hocane and Aiman Khan have hit out at social media pages for creating an issue out of a non-issue.

    As per details, controversy erupted after a clip of Aiman, in which she was commenting on Mawra’s weight went viral on social media. The clip in question was from Hina Altaf and Aagha Ali’s The Couple’s Show on which Aiman appeared with husband Muneeb Butt.

    During the show, when asked to give advice to Hocane, Khan had remarked that “she [Mawra] should gain some weight as she is very skinny”. Aiman’s comments did not go down well with Mawra’s fans who then attacked the actor for them.

    Responding to the controversy, Mawra requested all her fan pages and other social media pages to “be kind” and “give each other some space for improvement.”

    In a note shared on social media, the Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2 said: “I DO NOT appreciate anyone throwing the other person under the bus in the garb of supporting me.”

    “We must know how far we must go and not vilify the other person involved in the process,” she continued. “We are all humans and utter words we don’t entirely understand or mean!”

    “Let’s give each other space for improvement and not to do the same or worse by spewing hate,” added Mawra, urging everyone to be “please be kind”.

    On the other hand, while asking netizens to keep their opinion to themselves, Khan said: “I don’t understand why people take things personally and spread negativity. My life is not your property, you have no right to say anything to me if I can’t say anything to you.”

    Read more – Aiman Khan says her 8 million following is ‘organic’

    “My education, my accent is not your problem,” said the actor further. “Would my degree land you a job? No, right? Keep your nose out of my business, thanks. Make life easy and stop this nonsense.”

    Khan added: “Games are games and shows are shows – nothing is personal. I think bloggers shouldn’t make everything breaking news.”

    “We are already suffering a lot so stop making our lives tough with your stupid comments. Stop making issues out of nothing. Stop this nonsense, stop this hatred,” she asserted.

    Later in another post, she shared an announcement on her Story whereby she clarified a number of issues circulating on social media.

    She wrote, “This is to clear a number of issues that I’ve been seeing circulating on the social media.”

    Aiman stated “Initially, I’m not the form of particular person to disrespect anybody on nationwide tv or by social media.”

    “Secondly, social media portals and bloggers shouldn’t mislead a remark simply to create a stir and get eye balls on their platforms. They need to act responsibly and never add gasoline to fireside,” she added.

    Aiman Khan went on to say, “Thirdly, my training and my accent in none of anybody’s concern, I’m a public determine sure, however not the general public property that anybody can write something damaging or derogatory about.”

    “I’m not a hater nor do I consider in spreading hate. A lot love,” she concluded.

  • Fawad Alam to make his acting debut with ‘Khudkash Mohabbat’

    Fawad Alam is all set to make his acting debut with a web series titled Khudkash Muhabbat, scheduled to release on Pakistan’s first OTT platform, UrduFlix.

    “UrduFlix recently launched as Pakistan’s first-ever Urdu OTT platform has upped the game with brilliant new content and has kept the surprises coming. In a recent poster for their latest web series Khudkash Muhabbat – it was revealed that the cricketing hero would be making his debut on UrduFlix,” read a press release by the streaming service.

    “Fawad Alam, who has given remarkable performances in his cricketing career will soon be seen on the screens in what looks like an unconventional role in a unique story,” it added, without going into further details about the series and Fawad’s role in it.

    UrduFlix is Pakistan’s first Urdu OTT platform. It went live on March 5 and will provide viewers with access to original Urdu films, series, documentaries, cartoons, and Urdu dubbed Turkish dramas among other exclusively made shows for the platform.

    The first few shows on the platform would include Mashal Khan’s Lifafa Dayaan and Hareem Shah’s Raaz among others. The first exclusively available show going up on the platform with its launch is Dulhan Aur 1 Raat featuring Alizeh Shah in the lead.

    Fawad, who has was ignored by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for almost eleven years, recently scored a century during the Pakistan vs South Africa series. It was the cricketer’s third century. He scored his first in 2009 when he hit 168 on his Test debut against Sri Lanka while opening the innings. Since then Alam has played just six Tests having made a comeback in 2020. He scored his second hundred in New Zealand during the Pakistan vs New Zealand Test series after he got a chance to play when captain Babar Azam was ruled out due to his thumb injury.

  • Mumbai police files case against Kangana Ranaut for copyright violation

    Author of the book Didda: The Warrior Queen of Kashmir, Ashish Kaul has accused Kangana Ranaut of copyright violations and approached a local court in this regard after which a case has been filed against the actor by Mumbai police.

    According to a report in Gulf News, Kaul has accused Ranaut of copying content from his book for her film Manikarnika Returns: The Legend Of Didda without permission, claiming that he has exclusive copyrights to the life story of Didda, the Princess of Lohar (Poonch) and the queen of Kashmir.

    As per the complaint, the author had sent an email about the storyline of his book to Kangana, and she used some part of the story in a tweet while announcing her movie without his permission.

    “Is it believable by any stretch of imagination that a story and a book are being usurped by a renowned actor- turned-social activist?” said the writer.

    Kangana is also facing police cases in Mumbai over her allegedly provocative tweets.

    Read more – Kangana defines ‘porn singer’ for Ali Gul Pir

    This is not the first time, Kangana has made it to the news for the wrong reasons. She recently had a meltdown after Rihanna extended her support for the farmers’ protest in India.

  • Genelia, Riteish Deshmukh send love to ‘Pawri Girl’

    Genelia, Riteish Deshmukh send love to ‘Pawri Girl’

    Dananeerr Mobeen, who became a social media sensation after she posted a ‘pawri‘ video, has found new fans in Bollywood actors Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh. The couple re-created the trending video to wish their dog Flash.

    VIDEO – Mahira Khan, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor join the’Pawri Ho Rai Hai’ bandwagon

    During an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Mobeen was shown videos of Bollywood actors who recreated her video. Among those was Genelia and Riteish’s video in which they were celebrating their dog’s birthday, ‘Pawri Ho Rai Hai‘ style. In the video, the Ek Villain actor can be seen showing the celebrations and saying: “This is Flash, this is us, and this is our party.”

    Reacting to the video, Mobeen said: “The couple is so beautiful. I’ve also grown up looking and admiring them and recreating this trend in such a beautiful way. And Flash is so cute,” she added.

    In response to Mobeen’s reaction, Genelia and Riteish sent the young Pakistani influencer love.

    “Lotsa Love Dananeer. Flash says thank you,” said Genelia, while Riteish wrote: “Hey Dananeer wishing you all the best form our side. Much love.”

    Read more – ‘Pawri Girl’ aspires to join Pakistan’s foreign services

    “Grateful and humbled,” said Dananeer responding to Riteish’s tweet.

    Earlier in the interview she said that as a child, she used to stare endlessly at pictures of Shah Rukh, and that her favourite Kareena character is Poo, from the film Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.

    She told Bollywood Hungama, “The character Poo I think not just me but I think the entire world can relate. I think I personally relate to Poo at times. So, I’ll just be sitting with friends and they’ll something like: ‘Okay! So we’re gonna watch a movie’ and I’ll be like, ‘tell me how it was’!”

    Asked if there is an element of Poo in the ‘Pawri girl’, she said, “Poo I think humare andar bas gaya hai (Poo is deeply ingrained in all of us). So in anything that you do, it’s the sass, that Poo comes out.”

    Dananeer was also asked if she had a message for Kareena, who recently gave birth to her second child, she said, “Two beautiful beautiful children Mashallah.”

    Dananeer, who has had scores of celebrities from all corners of the subcontinent react to her viral meme, said that she would ‘go crazy’ if Shah Rukh sends her a message.

  • ‘Kiskay vote ko izzat dein,’ asks Samina Peerzada

    ‘Kiskay vote ko izzat dein,’ asks Samina Peerzada

    Samina Peerzada, in a recent tweet, expressed her confusion over the recent Senate Elections.

    Referring to Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz’s (PML-N) slogan “Vote ko izaat do,” Samina wrote: “Kis kay vote ko izat dein (Whose vote should we respect)?”

    Earlier, the veteran actor had said: “Kya hum vote jorr torr karnay kay lie detay hain ya mulk ki behtari kay lie (Do we vote for manipulation or for the betterment of the country)?”

    Earlier on Friday, before the voting for the Senate Chairman began, senators Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Dr Musadik Malik of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) stated that they found spy cameras in the polling booth in Senate. Senator Khokhar and Dr Musadik, in a series of tweets, posted pictures of cameras they found and a series of allegations started on Twitter by Mustafa, Malik and Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry.

    While the government alleged that the opposition installed the camera to create a ruckus, the Pakistan Democratic Movement accused the government of installing them to tamper votes. Senator Mustafa alleged that Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani was seen leaving the Senate building early morning at 5:30 am on the eve of the elections.

    It is still unclear who installed the cameras but it is worth mentioning that the elections for Senate chairman and deputy chairman are critical for both the government and the opposition.

    Meanwhile, government’s candidate for the Senate chairmanship Sanjrani won after getting 48 votes, beating Gilani with a lead of six votes.

  • Adnan Siddiqui wishes to ‘relive glory days’ with Angelina Jolie

    Adnan Siddiqui wishes to ‘relive glory days’ with Angelina Jolie

    Adnan Siddiqui has taken a trip down the memory lane and recalled old memories with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt from the shoot days of his film A Mighty Heart.

    Read more – ‘Fake News’: Adnan Siddiqui says he never faced discrimination on the sets of ‘A Mighty Heart’

    Sharing the pictures on social media, the Meray Paas Tum Ho actor wrote: “What are the odds that some bygone treasures will pop up on my phone memory a day after I mused about what memories leave in their wake when they come calling!”

    “A Mighty Heart will always hold an indisputably prized place in my heart for professional and personal reasons. Looking at these photographs, I suddenly have an overwhelming urge to go back in time at The Taj Mahal Palace, Colaba and relive the glory days,” he added.

    Siddiqui worked with Angelina in The Mighty Heart which released in 2007. The film which also featured the late Irrfan Khan in a prominent role was directed by Michael Winterbottom and co-produced by Brad Pitt.

    Meanwhile, the actor was feeling nostalgic on Thursday and shared several throwback pictures on his Instagram stories.

  • Netflix plans to cancel password sharing with friends

    Netflix is reportedly testing a new feature to restrict users from sharing their passwords with those who don’t live with the owner of the original account.

    According to a report in BBC, some Netflix users have reported seeing a a pop message on their screens saying: “If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching.”

    “This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorised to do so,” a Netflix’s spokesperson told the news media publication. “In the trial, users can verify they are allowed to access the account by a code, sent via text or email.”

    However, the video steaming giant, which has more than 200 million subscribers across the world, has not made the final decision about whether the company will roll this out across its network.

    It is pertinent to add that, Netflix’s terms and services say: “The Netflix service and any content viewed through the service are for your personal and non-commercial use only and may not be shared with individuals beyond your household.”

    Earlier this year, Netflix announced that it will release more than 70 movies this year across comedy, drama, family and other genres, a lineup that underscores the streaming service’s growing prominence in the film business. It added that it plans to release a new movie every week for the entire year of 2021.

  • India child rights body demands ban on ‘Bombay Begums’ for showing ‘minors having cocaine’

    India child rights body demands ban on ‘Bombay Begums’ for showing ‘minors having cocaine’

    An Indian government agency for protecting child rights has asked Netflix Inc to immediately stop streaming its new drama series Bombay Begums after it reviewed complaints around scenes showing children consuming drugs.

    According to details, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), in a letter to Netflix, asked the streaming giant to investigate the matter and submit a report within 24 hours or face further action.

    The NCPCR took action based on a complaint which alleged that the series normalises minors indulging in casual sex and drug abuse and objected to a scene showing “minors having cocaine”.

    “The series with this type of content will not only pollute the young minds of children, and may also result in abuse and exploitation of children,” the NCPCR notice said, adding “Netflix should take extra precaution while streaming any content in respect of the children or for the children and shall also refrain from getting into such things,” the commission said in its notice.

    Netflix did not respond to a request for comment.

    Featuring Pooja Bhatt, Shahana Goswami, Amruta Subhash, Plabita Borthakur and Aadhya Anand, Bombay Begums is a series about five women from different parts of society trying to get ahead in modern Mumbai, formerly called Bombay.

    The controversy is the latest to hit video streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in India, where they have faced complaints also around promoting obscenity or hurting religious sentiments. Industry executives say such complaints go against freedom of speech and expression in the country.

    Read more – ‘The Fab Lives of Bolly Wives’ falls flat despite the glam and starry special appearances

    A member of India’s ruling party’s youth wing last year lodged a police complaint against Netflix objecting to scenes in the series A Suitable Boy showing a Hindu girl kissing a Muslim boy against the backdrop of a Hindu temple.

    Amazon recently became embroiled in legal cases following allegations that its political drama Tandav depicts Hindu gods in a derogatory manner.

    Several users on Friday tweeted their objections and support for the new Netflix show, making #BombayBegums a top trend on the microblogging website.

    “If your child is influenced to do drugs by scenes in which a young girl does cocaine … You need to talk to your child, not the show,” Twitter user Sahir said.

  • Shahroz Sabzwari responds to Yasir Hussain’s comments on his acting skills

    Shahroz Sabzwari responds to Yasir Hussain’s comments on his acting skills

    Shahroz Sabzwari has responded to Yasir Hussain over his comments that the former should have stuck to television instead of venturing into films.

    In a recent interview with a local media outlet, when Yasir was asked to name an actor who should have stayed on television instead of doing films, the actor named Shahroz Sabzwari.

    Read more – ‘Just better yourself’: Anoushey Ashraf hits back at Yasir Hussain

    Responding to Yasir’s comments, Sabzwari said: “I think everyone has their own opinion and I respect Yasir’s. I respect everyone’s opinions, whether it comes from someone in my family or a random person on the street. No one has been subjected to flak the way I have.”

    The actor further said: “And he’s [Yasir’s]… I know him. So if that is what he thinks, then that’s fine by me.”

    It is pertinent to add here that Sabzwari has been subjected to a lot of criticism ranging from nepotism to his acting skills to his ‘questionable’ personal decisions.

    “Nowadays, people say so many things and many of us take them to the heart. We need to be stronger. We have to nurture ourselves and filter out the bashing that comes our way. If you don’t filter it out, you will lose,” said Shahroz.

    “I own all my characters and my films. One of them Chain Aye Na was a dead flop, but I own it. I think everyone should do that too. A bad film or a character that doesn’t work for you should never define your potential. An actor is only done when he tells himself in the mirror that he is done,” expressed Sabzwari.

    When asked if he thinks he made the right choices with his films and if there could be some weight in Hussain’s opinion, Shahroz said: “I’ve never made a wrong decision in my life. Before taking on anything I say Bismillah and I give it my best.”

    “But again, Yasir is entitled to his opinion and if you ask me mine, I will say that I respect all the actors around me,” said Shahroz, adding: “Even someone who plays a minor role is significant to me because when the camera is rolling, even saying ‘Assalamualaikum, kaisay hain aap’ becomes a task.”