United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is here for a four-day visit to Pakistan.
Guterres landed in Islamabad on Sunday. Talking to the media he said that “One of the main purposes of my visit is to spotlight the real Pakistan with all its possibility and potential.”
The UN chief spoke at an international press conference titled 40 years of Afghan Refugees Presence in Pakistan: A New Partnership for Solidarity, where he praised Pakistan for being the world’s second-largest refugee-hosting country.
He also met Mahira Khan, who was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador in November and is working with the UN Refugee Agency. Guterres took to twitter and thanked Mahira Khan and all Pakistanis for their support.
As we mark 40 years of Pakistan’s solidarity with Afghan refugees, it was a pleasure to meet @Refugees Goodwill Ambassador @TheMahiraKhan
Khan retweeted Guterres and wrote: “It was a pleasure meeting you as well. Looking forward to a lot more work alongside my fellow Pakistanis and @Refugees @antonioguterres.”
Before the appointment, Khan visited Afghan refugees in Peshawar in 2018 as part of a high-profile UN delegation. She has also spoken up for the needs of more than 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
Pakistani actors Mahira Khan and Mehwish Hayat have expressed deep grief over the sad demise of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) co-founder and leader Naeemul Haque.
Khan took to Twitter to remember Haque who passed away on Saturday after a long battle against cancer. “My mother recalls Uncle Naeem carrying his wife in his arms when she was very ill, took care of her like a baby. Now reunited [sic],” she tweeted.
My mother recalls Uncle Naeem carrying his wife in his arms when she was very ill, took care of her like a baby. Now reunited ♥️ https://t.co/0SEw6A5fI2
The Load Wedding actor, Mehwish Hayat, also tweeted about Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s late aide. She expressed grief over Naeem’s passing and said each time they met, his words of encouragement proved invaluable.
Very saddened to hear of the passing of Naeem ul Haq sir today. Each time we met his words of encouragement proved invaluable. My condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. I pray that his soul may rest in peace.
Haque was one of the founding members of the ruling PTI. He was admitted to a private hospital in Karachi where he breathed his last on Saturday.
Am devastated by one of my oldest friend Naeem's passing. He was one of the 10 founding mbrs of PTI & by far the most loyal. In 23 yrs of PTI's trials & tribulations, he stood by me. He was always there for support whenever we were at our lowest ebb.
Pictures from their last day on the sets were also widely circulated on social media.
Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad has been directed by Nabeel Qureshi and produced by Fizza Ali Meerza. The duo have previously delivered hits including Load Wedding and Actor in Law – both of which had Fahad in the lead.
Speaking to The Current, Nabeel had shared that the film will be a satirical action-comedy – something along the lines of their previous film Actor in Law.
Award season means there are plenty of red carpet looks to get inspiration from. The first Pakistan International Screen Awards (PISA) were held on Friday (February 7) in Dubai and our stars made sure to put forward their best fashion front.
From Mahira Khan to Meera Jee, everyone dazzled on the red carpet and looked like a million dollars. What was trending on the red carpet this week was sparkles, glitter and bling. Check out the pictures below:
Mahira Khan
Mahira cut a svelte figure in a dress by Lebanese-American fashion designer Rami Kadi for the red carpet before changing into a sparkly sari by Élan for the after-party.
Meera Jee
Meera Jee is sure bringing her A-game in this blingy power suit.
Ayesha Omar
Va-va-voom. Ayesha looks fab-u-lous in this gold outfit by labourjoisie.
Reema
Sarwat Gilani
Sarwat dons a midnight blue sari by Soshai.
Hareem Farooq
Hareem looks like she came straight from the galaxies in this shimmery sari by Élan.
Aima Baig
Sana Javed
Sana Javed stuns in this anarkali-style dress by Nomi Ansari.
The first Pakistan International Screen Awards were held in Dubai the past weekend and Mahira Khan stole the spotlight as she dazzled in a metallic, sequenced outfit by Rami Kadi.
In case you missed it, check out her outfit here:
Isn’t she glittering?
Turns out, close friend and designer Hassan Shehryar Yasin (HSY) styled Mahira for the big night. Sharing some behind the scenes pictures, HSY explained the concept behind Mahira’s look and praised her for carrying the outfit with utmost elegance and grace.
“Mahira is an elegant star,” he wrote in the caption, which almost read like a love letter. “That’s her thing. Elegance. She doesn’t have to try too hard, it’s a natural thing for her.”
It has been a long wait but it appears that the troubles for The Legend of Maula Jatt will soon end and the film will finally get a chance to see the light of the day.
According to reports, Sarwar Bhatti who had filed a case against the film for copyright infringement has withdrawn his case and has reached an agreement with the makers. Speaking to Epk, Bhatti said “Ammara Hikmat [producer] and Bilal Lashari [director] are like my children. Someone misguided them but all kids tend to make mistakes and therefore I am willing to put everything behind me. I am doing this for their welfare, for the revival of cinema and to give the much-needed boost to Pakistan’s film industry. I will no longer be a hurdle in the release of The Legend of Maula Jatt.”
It is being further reported that Bilal Lashari’s father Kamran Lashari and some mutual friends helped resolve the issues between the two conflicting parties.
Meanwhile, the producer of the film Ammara Hikmat while speaking to Galaxy Lollywood said, “With the intervention of few elders, Mr Bhatti resolved his differences with us and extended his support in the larger interest of the film industry, and we are grateful to them.”
Ever since the director of The Legend of Maula Jatt Bilal Lashari announced this film in 2013, the film was embroiled in legal cases after Sarwar Bhatti came forward and claimed that Maula Jatt was his property. He had filed an application for a stay order to prevent the director from using the character, name and dialogues and asked for the film to be banned from releasing.
While a release date has not yet been announced, rumours are rife that the film will release on Eid ul Fitr. And if that is the case it will be Fawad vs Fawad at the box-office because Money Back Guarantee is also scheduled to release on Eid-ul-Fitr along with Urwa Hocane and Farhan Saeed’s Tich Button.
The fate of Sarmad Khoosat’s Zindagi Tamasha hangs in limbo as the government is yet to decide whether the film can be released or not. The film, which was scheduled to hit screens on January 25, was stopped from being released days before its release after the federal and provincial governments feared public unrest.
While the Federal Government had said that the film will be reviewed by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), the Punjab Government directed the filmmaker to hold a screening on February 3 so that the film can be reviewed again. However, the screening has not taken place as yet. It is pertinent to mention here that the provincial and central censor boards had earlier cleared the film for release with a few cuts.
Osman Khalid Butt not only agreed with her but also requested artists and actor attending the first Pakistan International Screen Awards in Dubai to raise their voice for the film.
Strongly urge everyone taking the stage (or walking the red carpet) at the #PISAs tonight to speak out regarding the #ZindagiTamasha fiasco. An attack on one film is an attack on the entire fraternity. Freedom of expression cannot be held hostage like this. Let's get political.
Nadia Afgan, who played Shanno in Suno Chanda, also spoke out in favour of the filmmaker.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8JsBwXB10v/
Ever since the film was barred from release, director Sarmad has not made a public statement. His father, Irfan Khoosat, who had filed a case against Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) for interfering in the smooth release of the film also withdrew his petition for reasons unknown.
Meanwhile, TLP chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi recently said that he would not let the film release no matter what remarking: “We will not let Zindagi Tamasha release and will do whatever it takes to make sure it does not see the light of day.”
Earlier, Sarmad had also appealed to the Prime Minister, President, Chief of Army Staff and the Chief Justice of Pakistan to facilitate the release of the film.
As Pakistan observes Kashmir Day, local celebrities including Mahira Khan, Shahid Afridi, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Humayun Saeed and Saba Qamar raised their voice for the people who are currently under lockdown in the picturesque valley.
Dear Kashmiris, may you get the kind of freedom you all wish for. May there be peace for all of you, the kind we all deserve. Ameen. #KashmirSolidarityDay
The world’s prolonged silence on the atrocities committed against Kashmiris is heartbreaking, with innocent civilians suffering for numerous years. Praying for humanity to prevail. My thoughts & prayers are with the people today #KashmirSolidarityDay
#Kashmir… Oh Kashmir…. All i can do is raise a voice for you. May Allah allow me to live to see that day when the fate of Kashmir is determined according to the wishes of our Kashmiri brothers and sisters… Salute to ur resilience and Salute to ur courage. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/smuGKEI67c
Liberty shall come one day but when she does, her hands will be soaked in blood and the world will be forever ashamed for not being able to prevent what is happening. Standing in solidarity. #KashmirDay
Salute to the courage and bravery of our kashmiri brothers and sisters! Lets not stay silent and play our part!this brutality has to end! #standwithkashmir
Humayun Saeed is the man of the hour. He has won hearts with his exceptional performance as Danish in Meray Paas Tum Ho and everyone, including members of the entertainment industry, have nothing but praises for him.
Among those who loved Humayun’s performance was Mahira Khan, who has worked with the actor in multiple projects including drama serial Neeyat and superhit film Bin Roye.
Mahira’s tweet sparked a Twitter conversation between the two and in the words of Vasay Chaudhry, it was ‘Awww’.
Must congretulate @ARYVideos for showing epic drama serial #MerayPassTumHo, writer n whole team deserves big applause. I yet again ask @amazon and @Netflix invest in Pak drama n film #Pakistan has far better minds than India our music is far superior, you guys wont regret.
NBA legend Kobe Bryant died Sunday when a helicopter he was riding in crashed and burst into flames in thick fog, killing all nine people on board including his teenage daughter.
According to reports, Bryant, 41, was travelling with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other passengers and crew when their Sikorsky S-76 helicopter slammed into a rugged hillside in Calabasas, west of Los Angeles. They had been expected at the Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks for a basketball game.
Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist, is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players in history, an iconic figure who became one of the faces of his sport during a glittering two-decade career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Dozens of firefighters and paramedics battled across steep terrain to reach the flaming wreckage at the crash site but found no survivors, officials said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said an 18-strong team of investigators would be sent to California to probe the causes of the crash.
Bryant’s death sent shockwaves throughout the world and left fans stunned. Tributes to Bryant flooded in from former US presidents, pop stars and athletes from different sports. Local celebrities including Mehwish Hayat, Mahira Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi mourned Bryant’s death.
Kobe was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as meaningful a second act. To lose Gianna is even more heartbreaking to us as parents. Michelle and I send love and prayers to Vanessa and the entire Bryant family on an unthinkable day.
So sad to hear the heartbreaking news of the deaths of Kobe and his daughter Gianna. Kobe was a true legend and inspiration to so many. Sending my condolences to his family and friends and the families of all who lost their lives in the crash. RIP Legend💔 pic.twitter.com/qKb3oiDHxH
Totally heartbroken by the news of Kobe Bryant’s passing. He was a legend on the court and an inspiration to millions. His words “Life is too short” couldn’t have been more prophetic . RIP #Kobehttps://t.co/U4MCS6DCXS
News of Kobe Bryant's death is tragic indeed but a reminder for us all tht sooner/later this experience we call LIFE will end soon for us all. Lets us reflect on our lives, ask the big questions: Is this existence designed with a purpose or is this just chance & chaos? #KobeRIP
His complete devotion to his daughter also made headlines. He is quoted as saying “The best thing that happens is when we go out and fans would come up to me and she’ll (Gianna) be standing next to me and they’ll be like, ‘You’ve gotta have a boy … You gotta have somebody to carry on your tradition, the legacy.’ “She’s like, ‘Oy, I got this. Don’t need no boy for that.’ I’m like, that’s right. Yes, you do, you got this.”
Son of former NBA player Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the Lakers legend was born in Philadelphia in 1978. The five-time NBA champion began his career in 1996 straight out of high school and lasted until his retirement in 2016. He also was a two-time Olympic gold medalist, helping spark the US squad of NBA stars to titles in 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London.
Bryant bowed out of the NBA in 2016, scoring 60 points in his final appearance before his adoring fans at the Staples Center. It was a fairytale farewell to a sporting career that had begun two decades earlier.
