Celebrities are offering solidarity to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan as attempts to arrest the former Prime Minister continue.
On Tuesday, police reached Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence to arrest him with warrants for not appearing at court hearings in Islamabad.
Clashes between the police and PTI supporters left 54 officers and eight civilians injured while Imran Khan managed to avoid arrest.
Amidst the political turmoil and clashes between protesters and police forces who had deployed tear gas in order to disperse crowds, Pakistani celebrities took to social media to stand in solidarity with Imran Khan.
Actor Haroon Shahid took to Twitter, urging the people of Lahore to never give up.
Whatever happens today, remember that it doesn't change the fact that Imran Khan is and will remain the only national leader in Pakistan! Do not give up. Pakistan Zindabad ❤️
Singer and actor Farhaan Saeed also condemned the arrest attempt and said that the people of Pakistan will always side with him
Qaum ke sabse pasnadeeda aur maqbool leader ko apni qaum se door rakhne wale sun lein, aisa kurne se app is qaum ko hamesha ke liye ek hajoom bana deinge ! Woh aur baat hai ager app chahte hi ye hein , lekin Allah ne is qaum ka muqadar kuch aur likha hai iA ! #ImranKhanRally
Sar-e-Rah, a drama well known to the Pakistani audience, recently aired one of its most anticipated episodes that explored the struggles of a transgender boy who tries to gain acceptance from his family by studying hard.
The episode delved into how Sarim (played by Muneeb Butt) is bullied by his stepmother and brother because of the fact that he is an intersex boy. However, Sarim and his father have a close bond, who encourages him to work hard and is the only one who embraces his true nature rather than hiding it away.
In a scene that gained massive audience attention and praises on Twitter, the father and son are sitting by the sea where he teaches his son that there is no shame in wanting to be feminine, and he can choose to be whatever he likes because it won’t diminish his father’s love for him.
Many users praised the way this episode depicted the relationship between the father and son, as portrayed by Nabeel Zafar and Butt’s moving acting. The show was lauded for handling a taboo subject in a delicate manner, and showing how important it is for parent’s to empathise with and support their children.
In a time when censorship overrules freedom of thought, and many drama creators refuse to engage with the audience, there are creators who are making stories for the audience by taking bold steps in crafting unique stories that tackle social issues in a sensitive yet thorough manner.
Unfortunately this message did not resonate with everyone, as harsh critics like fashion designer Maria B once again stepped up to criticise the drama for ‘promoting vulgarity’ and encouraging the acceptance of the transgender community. This isn’t the first time Maria B has targeted the transgender community through her hate campaigns and probably won’t be the last time either. But it all comes down to a few questions we really need to ask ourselves: How is being an intersex a bad thing? Why can’t we as people accept everyone for who they are and what they are? Why is it so hard for us to choose kindness? What are we so afraid of? How is accepting a child for what and who they are a problem? At a tender age, a child only needs validation and acceptance. Parents don’t love in categories, their love is unconditional. Then why do we always put conditions on things which only need love and kindness.
Moving forward to the larger debate, which is about culture and what will people say. We need to understand that the world has massively changed. It’s the 21st century and people have a way of living on their own terms. Why do we always bring society, culture in things we ourselves are afraid to handle? Take the example of the scene in this drama itself, in our society a father is mostly shown as the angry adult, who doesn’t speak much, expresses even lesser and then here was a father, calm, tender and accepting of his son. We should promote such culture where fathers shower their children with kindness and love.
Kindness and love is the need of the hour. Pakistan already has a lot of problems. Let’s not make acceptability a problem as well. Our children deserve better. They deserve peace, security and assurance that yes our parents have our back. It all starts from home. Children need these little affirmations from a young age. Let’s not disappoint them just because they are different.
Actor Muneeb Butt has called out Feroze Khan for leaking the phone numbers and home addresses of his wife, Aimen Khan, and sister Minal Khan. “Leaking my family’s personal details on your social media trying to play smart by uploading the notice of a law firm and then deleting it,” Butt wrote on Instagram, addressing the embattled Feroze. “Whoever is suggesting this to you has thrown you into deep trouble my friend I feel bad for you now you will have to face all of this… Initially I thought it’s a stupid mistake waited for 24 hours but no apology or excuse proved that it was a deliberate move, I thought you were better than that seriously. Complaint registration/ verification process has been completed FIA cyber circle has intiated the inquiry. The process has started, you will have to taste your own medicine now wait for the call.”
The next screenshot was of the cyber stalking complaint Butt had filed against Khan at the Cyber Crime Reporting Center, and in the caption he had written: “It’s easier to mention your and your family’s personal phone number and residence details here but there is a difference! I still respect your family as mine and would never do that to them.”
Butt also took a dig against Khan’s lawyer, Faique Ali Jagirani, by sharing a screenshot of his Youtube channel where the lawyer had uploaded details of the ongoing case between Khan and his ex-wife, Alizeh Sultan. In the caption, Butt criticized the lawyer for profiting off from the case for the sake of adding subscribers.
“Change your lawyer. Advocate shb MashAllah gaining Youtube subscribers from your case. This case will go on until he gets a silver button!”
Actor Muneeb Butt had announced on social media two days ago that he would be playing the first ever transgender Assistant Commissioner in an ARY television serial. Butt had written in the post that this was a role that would break stereotypes in our society.
Am really excited to announce that i am playing a very unique character of first Trans Assistant Commissioner in my upcoming project. Something that breaks the stereotypes in our society. Special thanks to my costar @sabaqamar7861 #Idreamentertainment#ARYDigitalNetwork#USAidpic.twitter.com/VNBGuqawED
However, transgender activists were furious about this casting choice and responded by pointing out that the role would have been more empowering had a transgender person been cast.
As a transgender rights activist, I would suggest you to hire a trans actor for this role. We don't need men to perform our lives!
Transgender activists on Twitter shared that there were many trans people who were unemployed and who deserved good, authentic representation on public platforms, hence it was unnecessary to hire a man to play this role.
Why @muneeb_butt9 you are playing trans character, this is really insane , transgender are live in this country and trans role should be perform by trans person. And @Salman_ARY@SabaQamarActor please rethink about it and justice. https://t.co/FwinoPxPJW
Another trans user called this decision ‘dangerous’ because the entertainment will keep on capitalising on transgender issues, rather than employ members of the trans community and bring them to the table.
So hopefully, our industry should be mindful about writing stories about minorities and be sure to invite members of said community while giving them the chance to tell these stories themselves without speaking over them. One of the foremost essential demands made by the transgender community is to be granted equal opportunity and rights as anyone else in Pakistan, and we can assure that by allowing them to tell their own stories without censoring them.
Journalist Arshad Sharif died in Kenya after being shot, according to his wife Javeria Siddique.
She wrote, “I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist @arsched today, as per police he was shot in Kenya. Respect our privacy and in the name of breaking pls don’t share our family pics, personal details and his last pictures from hospital.”
I lost friend, husband and my favourite journalist @arsched today, as per police he was shot in Kenya. Respect our privacy and in the name of breaking pls don't share our family pics, personal details and his last pictures from hospital. Remember us in ur prayers. pic.twitter.com/wP1BJxqP5e
A-list celebrities took to their social media handles to express grief and shock on Arshad’s demise.
Actors like Sajal Aly, Muneeb Butt and Mariyam Nafees shared their thoughts on the unfortunate incident.
Kenyan police report:
According to a Kenyan police report, Arshad was traveling with a man they claim was his brother Khurram Ahmed. The police was tipped off about a stolen car outside an electrical shop. The owner of the car had left his son in the car. When he came back, he found that the car was missing and his son had been abducted. The police traced the car and when they found the car, they state that Arshad and Khurram Ahmed did not stop the car. They were fired upon and when the car was stopped, Sharif had died from a gun shot wound to the head. According to the police report, the car was fired upon nine times.
According to Arshad’s former employer ARY News, “Police in Kenya have confirmed his death and have opened an investigation into the accident which likely involved a gun attack.”
He leaves behind five children. The family has asked the media and the general public to refrain from making assumptions and disseminating rumours regarding Arshad Sharif’s death.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxTKP3BL9H8
According The Star, a credible news outlet and one of the biggest in Kenya “Arshad Sharif was shot in the head and killed by police after he and his driver allegedly breached a roadblock that had been set up to check on motor vehicles using the route.”
“They were driving from Magadi town to Nairobi when they were flagged down at a roadblock being manned by a group of police officers, police said.”
“According to police, at the roadblock, there was a call for police to intercept a car similar to the one they were driving following a carjacking incident in Pangani area, Nairobi where a child was taken hostage.”
“And a few minutes later, Sharif’s car emerged at the roadblock and they were stopped and asked to identify themselves,” reads the news report.
Actor and host Aadi Adeal Amjad has revealed during an interview with Fuchsia that his girlfriend at the time passed away and that losing her had a profound impact on him. Although he was still very young at the time, he struggled for a while to maintain his sense of humour.
Additionally, Aadi discussed his upcoming nuptials. He claimed that he is currently prepared for marriage. Aadi claimed that he had always desired a love marriage because he want a partner who would respect his way of life and career and would not have insecurities. Aadi continued by saying that a person of that simple mind would not be content with him being unable to wed a ghareloo lady due to his employment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEa7cv11Fb0
Earlier this year, he took to his Instagram stories to criticise a newly married couple to share their smoking video amidst their post-wedding shoot.
The Beinteha star stated that the day is not far when married couples will start sharing their wedding night videos to get viral.
Actor Minal Khan has clapped back at a mean troll on Instagram for body-shaming her 3 year-old niece Amal Muneeb. The netizen commented under Amal and her celebrity parents’ picture, “Lag raha hai choti aurat upar bitha li (seems like he has made a small woman sit on him).”
The Jalan star hit back at him by saying sarcastically, “bohat achi bat hai 3 saal ki bachi ka mazak urana (a very good thing to make fun a 3-year-old child).”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi_r8C-3O44&t=12s
Earlier this year Minal and her husband Ahsan Mohsin Ikram posted a video on social media with Amal, driving on the roads of Karachi.
Many netizens called the couple “irresponsible” both for their actions and for laughing when it’s not funny.
Minal then posted a clarification on the controversy. She stated that the duo were driving down their own street.
Last year activist and Wasim Akram’s better half, Shaneira Akram schooled actress Minal Khan for not wearing a seat belt. Shaneira shared a screenshot from Minal Khan’s recent video in which she can be seen traveling without wearing a seat belt with her beau Ahsan Mohsin Ikram. The Australian diva captioned her post as, “Come on guys you are famous, and have millions of followers, is it too hard to be a little more responsible?”
She added, “Put your seat belt and eyes on the road, I’m sorry to say but that song won’t be as cute if she is singing it in hospital.”
Celebrity duo Aiman Khan and Muneeb Butt celebrated the 12th Rabi ul Awal in Madinah with daughter Amal and Muneeb’s siblings. The Baandi duo shared some special pictures from the Holy City on Instagram.
Other celebrities like Feroze Khan, Dua Malik and Noor Bukhari also t posted pictures from their trip to Makkah and Madina. They all were spotted there with families. The celebrities thanked Allah Almighty for giving them an opportunity to perform Umrah in Makkah.
The celebrities performed mandatory rituals along with their families and celebrated the birth of Hazrat Muhammad (SAWW) in the holy cities.
Actor Muneeb Butt in his recent interview with host Tabish Hashmi, made some revelations about his caste. The Daldal star stated that his cast, pronounced as ‘Butt’ in Pakistan, is originally Bhatt. However when the Kashmiris migrated to Pakistani Punjab from India, the caste name became Butt from Bhatt due to the Punjabi dialect.
“Originally it is Bhatt, not Butt, when Kashmiris migrated here, the name became Butt. People in Punjab pronounce words differently, such as bhai (brother) became paen. They don’t use B and H together.”
Earlier in an interview with Waseem Badami did not hesitate to call out the government, which promised to give a Rs 2,000 monthly subsidy to all citizens earning less than Rs40,000.
Shedding light on inflation, the Qarar hero had a hilarious response to what the government has to offer to the needy. He joked sarcastically and said he will marry off his daughter with that Rs2,000.
“I have kept them in the bank. I will buy a plot with the remaining amount.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgbgAvONU1g
In June 2022, Butt took to his Twitter handle to slam the ruling party after another increase in petrol prices.
He also termed PML-N as a “weak party”.
The Baandi hero also slammed writer and former journalist, Reham Khan on twitter amidst her recent controversy with actor Mishi Khan.
Butt sarcastically told her that he wants to cast her as naagin (snake) in his forthcoming serial.
Actor Minal Khan got trolled on social media earlier this year after she copied American reality television star Kylie Jenner’s Instagram story. The netizens scrutinised her for cropping the name Jenner from the photo and shared it as her own.
Now her brother-in-law, Muneeb Butt has responded to the Jalan diva’scontroversy on Tabish Hashmi’s show, Hasna Mana Hai.
The Daldal actor said, ‘When this news was viral on social media, we were all laughing and the family’s WhatsApp group was flooded with memes on Minal.”
Defending Minal Khan, he said that some people are in the habit of posting too many stories on Instagram. She must have seen the picture and shared it. She didn’t mean for people to think it was her breakfast picture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqhjrW8VR7M&t=17s
Recently Aiman responded to her Butt’s humorous comment on her brother-in-law Ahsan Mohsin Ikram’s post. Ahsan shared a picture of Minal and him holding each other’s hands and captioned the post as, “This is how it all started.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvbWy3x3Xcw&t=47s
Muneeb was quick to comment on the post, which caught Aiman’s attention. The Ishq Tamasha star asked him under his comment that why does he comment on everything?
