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Tag: Pakistani Celebrities

  • Babar Azam is bigger diamond than Kohinoor: Shahdab Khan

    Babar Azam is bigger diamond than Kohinoor: Shahdab Khan

    Pakistan cricket team has failed to win a single test at home under Babar Azam’s captaincy however all-rounder Shahdab Khan has said that the nation is being unjust to Babar Azam.

    Babar Azam has been criticized in the past few months by former cricketers and fans for his captaincy.

    Shadab, in a recent interview with a local TV channel, defended his captain, asking Pakistanis to realize how valuable Babar is and desist from unnecessarily criticizing him.

    “I think we are doing injustice with such a diamond. Pakistan has been blessed with such a big diamond. He [Babar] is a bigger diamond than Kohinoor,” Shadab said.

    “As a nation, we are not valuing Babar for what he is worth and are pressurizing him. At the end of the day, he is human. We should respect him the way the world respects him,” he added.
    The all-rounder was also surprised by the criticism of Babar’s leadership qualities by former cricketers.

    “I am surprised when people doubt him as a captain or a leader. He is Pakistan’s biggest player. Our nation should respect him the way we respect him in the team,” he concluded.

    The Pakistan captain recently received the ICC Cricketer of the year award for his performances in the year 2022.

  • PSL 8: Lahore Qalandars destroy Islamabad United by 110 runs

    PSL 8: Lahore Qalandars destroy Islamabad United by 110 runs

    Lahore Qalandars continued their winning streak on Monday, thrashing Islamabad United in the 16th fixture of PSL 8 by 110 runs at the Gaddafi stadium Lahore.

    Choosing to bat first, Qalandars set a massive target of 201 runs with the help of a sensational knock by young player Abdullah Shafique. Islamabad United’s strong batting lineup was eviscerated by Qalandars’ bowling attack, knocking them out in just 13.5 overs by conceding only 90 runs and a thrilling bowling display from David Wiese and Sikandar Raza.


    United, on the other hand, were left to revisit their planning.
    Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, who had the stumps flying against Peshawar Zalmi in his first over a day earlier, did not bowl another classic against United.
    In reply to the huge total, United could not establish a productive partnership after Gurbaz and Munro put up 56-2 in the powerplay.
    Zaman Khan gave Lahore a much-needed breakthrough after openers Colin Munro and Gurbaz (23) helped Islamabad make a good start.

    Zaman delivered a slow short bowl that was mistimed by Gurbaz and Fakhar Zaman took a blinder to send the Afghan batter back to the pavilion.

    Soon after Gurbaz’s departure, Shaheen introduced David Wiese, who got the better of Colin Munro, reducing Islamabad to 54-2.

    The left-handed batter scored 18 runs off 14 balls.

    In the next over, fiery pacer Haris Rauf struck as he sent Rassie van der Dussen (3) packing.

    Wiese delivered again as he sent Islamabad’s skipper Shadab Khan (4) back to the pavilion after a successful review.

    In a bid to shore up the run rate, Asif Ali went for a six but ended up getting caught by Haris off Rashid Khan.

    Wiese added to Islamabad’s miseries by trapping Azam Khan for an lbw. The wicket-keeper batter, who scored 96 runs against Quetta Gladiators in their previous match, was sent packing after he scored only four runs.

    The wizard Rashid claimed his second scalp of the evening by bowling out Tom Curran (10).

    For Lahore, Wiese claimed three wickets, while Rashid and Raza took two scalps each. Zaman and Haris secured a wicket each.

    Playing XI for both teams

    Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Tahir Baig, Abdullah Shafique, Sam Billings (wk), Hussain Talat, Sikandar Raza, David Wiese, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi (c), Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan

    Islamabad United: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Colin Munro, Rassie van der Dussen, Shadab Khan (c), Azam Khan (wk), Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Tom Curran, Abrar Ahmed, Zeeshan Zameer, Hasan Ali

  • For Pakistanis, happy brides aren’t the prettiest

    For Pakistanis, happy brides aren’t the prettiest

    Was there an earthquake on our Instagram account last night? We found some distressing comments bunched under the old war cry of ‘Is This The Islamic Republic Of Pakistan?!’. Some people declared that they will unfollow our account for posting such content. At first, naturally we thought this was in reaction to a murder story, or regarding the number of rape cases we post everyday. But surprise, surprise, it wasn’t. No other post got this kind of attention or criticism like a video of actress Ushna Shah dancing at her wedding did.
    Pakistani women walk a tightrope everyday. They can’t declare to the world that they want to remain childless and single for the rest of their lives; not without attracting criticism for “hurting the sentiments of millions”. Or if they do choose to marry and remain happily in love with one man for the rest of their lives, they’re criticized for being extremely vulgar, refusing to confide with traditions of our society, and even promoting Western values.
    Because for Pakistan, a happy woman is a sinful woman. And any woman enjoying her life and living it to her own terms is what will trigger an already joy-less nation. Nothing else will attract this much hostility and negative backlash the way a woman dancing away on her wedding will.
    Like here is someone declaring that the reason for earthquakes striking Pakistan is because of a bride dancing the night away in a red dress?


    Ma’am, what sort of crime did Shah commit by spending her own money on her own wedding, and then happily dancing because she was in love? Did this massive earthquake over look the rise of poverty, corruption, terrorism and murder cases and clutch it’s pearls because of a woman being happy and in love?
    Or like this azeem shakhs who declared Shah was a kafir for dancing away in a ‘shameless’ dress which showed her bare midriff.

    Did you get invited to her wedding, or even pay for the events and more specifically her dress? No! Then keep your nose out of it. Women don’t need to mold their lives according to how people’s expectations matter. It’s her dress, she decides what to wear.
    And we haven’t forgotten the pile of hateful content that specifically targetted Ushna Shah’s dress, insulting her with terms like ‘Indian’ like this commentor is.

    Because color me pink, red was solely a color that Indian brides have worn. Anyone familiar with the history of Pakistan knows our culture and wedding practices are no different from Indian ones. Many Pakistani brides have worn wedding dresses made by popular Indian designers like Sabyasachi, while the same happens across the border. Besides that, Shah, or any other woman, has the right to choose what dresse she wants to wear on her own wedding.
    Ushna Shah had herself stepped in to silence the critics by reminding them that by the end of the day, it’s her choice to wear what she wants and celebrate in any way that makes her happy.

    “To those who have a problem with my dress:

    You weren’t invited, nor did you pay for my shade of red.

    My jewelery, my jora: purely Pakistani.”

    And that extends to every woman in Pakistan. They can celebrate the happiest day of their lives without paying attention to the negative voices in the shadows.

  • Bushra Ansari reveals struggles she faced in her first marriage

    Bushra Ansari reveals struggles she faced in her first marriage

    Bushra Ansari was a guest on Nida Yasir’s talk show where among many things, she opened up about her abusive first marriage and the ways her husband, Iqbal Ansari, restricted her from the things she used to love. Ansari and her ex-husband parted ways after 36 years of marriage. The veteran actress said in the interview that she was quite naive when she got married:
    “Girls who are around 19 or 20 years old when they’re getting married, it’s not easy for them to stand up for their rights, and most of the time they don’t want to. I believe that young people are very innocent and idealistic, which is why it is easy for an older person to enter their lives and mold them to his taste. Especially it is your parents and other relatives who complain about your bad habits to your husband, and encourage him to keep a strict control over you. But girls are very naive when their getting married, they’re like jelly. But I’m proud of this generation today because women are well-educated and also know how to stand up for themselves.”


    Ansari went on to share how she followed the customs of her time to obey and act according to the wishes of her husband, hoping that he might like her and be happy but instead of that, she was expected, all the time, to do what he said.


    “He asked that i remove my nose pin, which I loved, but I agreed. He also said don’t wear ghararay on your wedding so I decided to switch to wearing sari’s. Then he also said don’t wear mehndi on your hands on your wedding, I agreed. Even though this wasn’t a twenty year long affair, but we only knew each other for three months and then we got married.”


    “I thought that if I would say ‘theek hai jee, aap ki marzi’, then everything would be fine. Because once he is happy, then I would also be happy. Whatever he said, I would do. He said stop going to your friend’s house, I agreed. I thought that he was a temple, and I was running around it. But this was the kind of mindset women from this generation used to follow because they were told this is how they must remain happy in their marriages. I’m not saying you should completely rebel and refuse to be nice to your husband, because sometimes listening to someone’s request is a good thing and they acknowledge you. Otherwise you listen to them once, then they keep expecting you to listen to everything they have to say.”

    You can watch the complete interview here:

  • Are we allergic to joy?

    Are we allergic to joy?

    There is a poignant moment in the documentary ‘The Romantics’ where filmmaker Aditya Chopra reflects back on the 26/11 Mumbai attacks that shook the entire country. At the time, his production company had been gearing up for the release of his upcoming romantic comedy film ‘Rab Ne Banadi Jodi’. Many of his colleagues had urged him to push forward the dates to prevent an uproar. Chopra said in the documentary that he knew that more than ever, that was the time people needed a reminder of joy and happiness in their lives, so he decided to stick with the original date. When the film released in cinemas across India, it became a hit.


    Currently in the state ‘Bannistan’ is in, with our economy struggling, inflation rising and more women finding it difficult to access public spaces without the fear of sexual assault or harassment, we have now developed an allergy to joy. Anything that prompts laughter or makes people happy. Solution: ban it. We ban our films, we call for festivals to be stopped because of fears like “western sazish” or “anti-Islamic” and then we wonder why our upcoming generation has no creative skills or any motivation to find work.


    Art is not just a prop to promote state policies, but a way to encourage members of society to find joy and reflect on the way they are living their life. We need art because it encourages us to express our inner selves and also because it is a powerful way to spread messages on social issues to the masses. Perhaps this is why art terrifies our public officials so much, and why it is censored more than any other industry in this country. We label the art we don’t like as ‘immoral’ because it is the only medium that can reflect the tabooed topics we are so afraid to speak about. Consider dramas in the past like “Dil Na Umeed to Nahi” which got several notices from PEMRA because it discussed the issue of child sex trafficking, and the difficulties survivors face in rehabilitating themselves. Another notice was sent to ban hugs or caressing, because God forbid any marriage is seen as being happy or affectionate. But we refuse to think about the numerous domestic violence and abuse scenes we watch on our screens every day.


    A few days ago, a video began trending online featuring Bollywood day at LUMS, where students showed up dressed as their favorite characters from movies and dramas. But in response, social media users began criticizing the university for promoting vulgarity, and called the participants “kanjarkhana”

    Slur words are labels that we put on people who do not conform to the idea that it is shameful to seek celebration and joy in our lives, and words like these can be traced to our colonial roots. The British had demoralized the kunjar community in the sub-continent, a nomadic community of folk entertainers. As Jasir Shahbaz writes for Samaa, under the British rule, the kanjar community had been socially outcasted and under the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871, they were listed as “addicted to the systematic commission of non-bailable offences.”


    These terms are thriving under the ongoing reign of Bannistan: shame anyone who works in entertainment as a ‘kanjari’. We criticize female actors for performing on screens, deem women who seek their independence or protest for equal rights as loose and immoral, when in reality anything that challenges our misogynist and regressive mindset is improving our lives.


    In defense of the students who celebrated the end of their University days and any other woman out there trying to live her life, kanjari is an empowering term because it means we’re celebrating life. In times of repression and censorship, celebrating art can be the greatest form of living because it allows us to represent ourselves on screen. And gives space to every individual in society, regardless of caste or background. So instead of shaming these children for celebrating Bollywood day or just protesting in the streets, hold back your thoughts and just go about your own day if you’re not interested in what they have to say. Because now more than ever, we need joy in our lives. We need a reason to keep moving and find solace in the countless stories we see in films or read.

  • Kiran Ashfaque talks about her divorce with Imran Ashraf in a Q&A session on Instagram

    Kiran Ashfaque talks about her divorce with Imran Ashraf in a Q&A session on Instagram

    Actor Imran Ashraf announced last year that he and his wife Kiran Ashfaque had chosen to part ways after four years of marriage. Both had not addressed the reason why they had decided to end their marriage, until now Ashfaque held a Q&A session with her fans on her Instagram stories, where she spoke out about why she had chosen to get a divorce.

    When a fan had asked Ashfaque about why she chose to end her marriage to Ashraf, she had responded:

    “Not all that glitters is gold.”

    Among the other questions, Ashfaque was also asked about whether she had felt insecure and awkward when other people asked her a lot of questions about her divorce, to which she proudly let other women who followed her know that becoming a divorcee isn’t a stain on your identity, and it was empowering to escape a situation that wasn’t helping you grow.

    “This will not go on for long. We will keep dealing with it with a smile.”

    Other followers also asked her why she had chosen to leave Ashraf to which she had said

    “Why don’t you go and ask him yourself.”

    One of the common ways society shames women for seeking their independence or for escaping repressive situations is by labelling them as ‘bold’ a term associated with women who refuse to break themselves down for the sake of keeping others happy. When a fan asked Ashfaque about other people calling her bold for choosing to get a divorce, she addressed it in the most badass way.

    “I was always a very bold person but I changed myself for someone else. My advise to anyone out there is that they should never change themselves for anyone else.”

    Ashfaque also had advice for another woman who asked her how to deal with society’s taunts, after she got divorced when she was 22. Ashfaque replied by telling her that she should never allow other people to dictate her life choices.
    “Why did you allow them to do that? Never give anyone permission to disrespect you.”

  • ECP to consult with AGP on Alvi’s election date

    ECP to consult with AGP on Alvi’s election date

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday held a meeting to review the situation evolving after President Arif Alvi’s unilateral announcement of a date for elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

    ECP decided to consult Attorney General for Pakistan and other legal experts in this regard.

    The meeting was called to after the president announced April 9 as the date for the polls of provincial assemblies.

    On Monday, Alvi exercising his power under Section 57 (1) of the Elections Act, 2017, announced the election date and further asked the ECP to issue an election programme in accordance with Section 57 (2) of the Act.

    Alvi’s move was rejected by federal ministers who were of the view that the president had abrogated the Constitution and he had no right to announce the date.

    The ECP stated that “the commission has been and will continue to make decisions without any pressure according to the Constitution and law”.

    It added that the electoral watchdog is always ready to conduct an election within 90 days as per the Constitution and law, but nowhere in the Constitution, it is written that the commission will give the date for the election.

  • ‘I don’t feel comfortable with slapping scenes’: Bushra Ansari

    ‘I don’t feel comfortable with slapping scenes’: Bushra Ansari

    Bushra Ansari’s currently winning hearts as the strict mother-in-law on the ARY drama ‘Tere Bin’, however it seems like the actor isn’t too comfortable with the character’s cold, selfish nature. Especially in a particular scene where her character Maa Begum slaps Meerab for dancing.
    In a behind the scenes interiew, Ansari confessed that she finds slapping scenes quite difficult to perform:
    “The one thing that I don’t like is slapping people, and I get incredibly upset over it. Not just girls, but with boys as well I have to give a lot of re-takes. In a lot of previous dramas I had to slap actors like my own son. I slapped Wahaj, Ahsan Khan and then Mikaal Zulfiqar…Just one thing I would change about her character is how much she slaps people. Because it breaks my heart. Allah karay I never have to come across such a situation.”
    Ansari also explained the mindset and personality of Maa Begam, and elaborated on how when Meerab began dancing at her wedding, she challenged this mindset which is why she was slapped.
    “I (my character) have a set of rules like ‘this is my house, this is my family and these are my rules, and this isn’t right that my daughter-in-law is dancing at wedding. But no one would find this to be proper, as this is a part of our own culture… I see women now days are dancing at their wedding and wearing full makeup. Back in our days we had a tradition that a bride would wear no makeup so that her face would glow.”

    You can watch the complete interview here:

  • Want to woo a woman? Here is some advice from male leads of Pakistani dramas!

    Want to woo a woman? Here is some advice from male leads of Pakistani dramas!

    With Valentine’s Day coming up, your amma jee’s earnest khuwaishien about turning her into a dadi maa, and those bachiyan you stop to hoot at aren’t impressed by how much of a hero you can be. It’s clear that you don’t have a date because more women are rejecting entitled, selfish brats because do khori paisay kya kama liye, ab kehti hain they don’t want a man in their lives!
    Clearly dear reader, you have tried everything to impress her but have no chick to take to Hooters while Beena is out of town. So we are ready to help because we know how hard it is to get home and no live in maid is around to make you food and treat you like chota sardar. The best place to go for advice is definitely Pakistani dramas and their never ending tips on how to create the perfect male heroes. Whenever drama creators and screenwriters have been questioned about why they chose to consult no real woman, and included domestic abuse in their dramas, their response was that this is what society has always favored!
    So we have, with our superior mind and years of journalism experience, decided to write down some of the popular dramas released over the last few years, and the stellar advice they offer to men across Pakistan whose hairlines keep receding as Bisma doesn’t answer their 1999th hookup call.

    1 Introduce yourselves by demanding her to call out your name repeatedly

    Tricky thing but follow our steps closely because you want to ensure she likes no one else but you. You’ve met the dream girl and want her to like you back, but how do you do so? As Danish Taimoor splendidly shows us, kidnap her dad and then when she calls you in tears begging for help, demand that she repeatedly say your name. Over and over again. That will put her in a trance, she will wake up and go around thinking only of you, and you alone.

    2 To develop a deeper bond between the two of you, pick someone who’s your cousin

    You’re hitting 39 soon and you don’t know when will you stop being a chichora. Dramas say you should pick a girl who is naive and won’t be able to see the real douchebag that you are. That’s why you should pick your cousin. She can easily be pressurized by her parents to date you, and even marry you in the near future because otherwise their daughter’s honor might go to shambles. Ignore the cries of those rabid feminists telling you that intermarrying cousins is medically questionable, especially when it involves a child! She won’t protest regarding how much she has to clean up after you, or has to literally take care of the rest of your family as well!

    3 Swoon tip: neglect all of her need’s and accuse her of being a drama queen!

    Among the many things men are clueless about when it comes to dating, is not knowing how to make a woman feel special. Many men are consistently trying to figure out the ways they can remind a woman they love that they think she’s special and value her existence. So here’s a tip: gaslight her when she comes to you with a problem. Is she spiraling due to a panic attack and can’t breathe? Stand there and accuse her of faking it all and then go on your day pretending what you saw never happened. After all, for any relationship to become successful, a period of hardship and torture is quite important!

    4 Refuse to- and we emphasize this so much – keep refusing to take no for an answer

    Anything that a woman says after meeting you should be a hint that she wants you. If she’s complaining about having no food, it secretly means she wants to cook food for you. If she’s asking about the time, it secretly means time to go home with you. So don’t mistrust what your gut is telling you, and keep letting her know that you can hear her inner voice, which she can’t. If she tells you she doesn’t like you, refuse to let her go and keep pressurizing her to listen to her desperate inner voice wanting to be with you! Akhir kaar there is nothing wrong with you! So why would she reject you?

    5 Lastly, to seal this joori into a lifetime commitment, put a gun to your head so she quickly agrees to marry you.

    The day is ending, you know you just met her and don’t know anything except for her phone number and where she goes to study. But you think you have found the perfect live-in nanny that can cook you and keep up with your mummy’s constant nagging so it’s only right that you drop a proposal now! She’ll say no at first because obviously, she doesn’t know that she wants to marry you as well. So to make it quick, and actually get her to marry you- hold a gun to your head, and start screaming that you’ll shoot yourself if she doesn’t say yes. Start counting down from ten, and she’ll definitely say she want’s to marry you. It’s a win-win!

  • ‘The biggest mistake parents make is not teaching their daughters about their rights’ Komal Rizvi opens up about domestic abuse in her first marriage

    ‘The biggest mistake parents make is not teaching their daughters about their rights’ Komal Rizvi opens up about domestic abuse in her first marriage

    Singer and actress Komal Rizvi was a guest on Nadir Ali’s podcast where she opened up about her abusive first marriage and how she managed to escape it.
    Recalling her past, Rizvi revealed that she was quite naive at the time she got married, as she was only 21 years old and this was a semi-arranged marriage for which she had been given only four months to accept the propsal. The actress had lived in Dubai for a year, and later shifted to Oman when the beatings began, getting worse to the point that even the police had to be called.


    “I was 21 years old when I had gotten married, so I was very young… When we lived in Oman, I didn’t have any family or friends that I could escape to, and my ex-husband never gave me any money to keep me under his control. One time, I called the police on him when he was beating me. But instead of taking action, they dismissed it as a domestic problem and left, leaving me completely alone with him.”

    Recalling what she had learned from her past ordeal, after getting a divorce four years later, the actress said she wished more parents would educate their children about understanding boundaries, because her husband would psychologically abuse her to believe the beatings she was receiving were her own fault.

    “Women from the start in our society are told that they will have a beautiful wedding, after which they will have a husband who will take care of all of their needs. Which is why, so many women are willing to give their 200% in order to make their marriages work. But I detest that we never teach women about the importance of establishing boundaries, that let alone their husband, no man can cross. Which is the thing I regret the most because then I would not have wasted three and a half years trying to make my marriage work. My husband would play all sorts of mind games to gaslight me and make me feel like I am responsible for the beatings because I made him angry. For instance, he would say ‘it’s your fault that you served me with cold food, so I hit a frying pan on your head.’ I kept believing that if I loved him better or worked harder, he would be proud of me.”

    Rizvi especially emphasized how important it is that women are emotionally strong and be vary of men who try to encourage them to abandon their careers and dreams, because this is how her husband treated her.

    “Men like my ex-husband, who are psychopaths, especially try to ensure that they trap the girl to prevent her from escaping in any way. They go after girls like me who were quiet independent and successful, and ask her to abandon all of this in order to become a wife. They want a simple, meek girl who has no independence or opinions of her own, so they can bend her in to two pieces.”

    After escaping her abusive marriage, Rizvi recalled that it was incredibly difficult to be happy and come out of her dark hole, and said that it’s important that society helps women understand that their life isn’t over after a divorce, and provide them with the support system and care one needs.

    ‘Because I was very young when I got divorced. I used to think ‘Oh my life is over! Who would marry me?’ Now I look back and I’m shocked that I said things like this because I remind myself today that I still have a long way to go!” joked Rizvi.

    On the lesson she wished parents, and especially men, would take away from her revelation, Rizvi said that men need to learn to respect women, and ensure that when they’re bringing a woman who had a lot of protection when she lived with her parents, ‘Make sure you provide her the same amount of honor, respect and love. And when she becomes the mother of your children, provide her with twice the amount of love and care than you usually gave.”