Ambassador Tirmizi honors Mahira Khan, Humayun Saeed in Dubai
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Pakistan's Envoy to the UAE, along with Consul General Hussain Muhammad and members of the Pakistani diplomatic mission, attended a special ceremony in Dubai held to honor Pakistani actors Humayun Saeed and Mahira Khan for their outstanding contributions to Pakistani cinema and arts.
During the ceremony, Ambassador Tirmizi presented commemorative shields to the artists, celebrating their dedication and achievements. In his remarks, the Ambassador highlighted Pakistan's rich cultural and artistic diversity, underscoring the vital role of the creative industry as a form of soft power in helping shape the global perception of Pakistan.
The event was attended by a large number of Pakistani community members in in the UAE, appreciating the country's artistic talent. Both Humayun and Mahira expressed heartfelt gratitude to Ambassador Tirmizi and the audience for their recognition and support.
UAE visa rejections, hosting GITEX in Pakistan: ambassador Faisal Tirmizi breaks it down
Both Humayun and Mahira are currently on a press tour to promote their latest film 'Love Guru' with stops that have included London and New York.
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Express Tribune
19 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Sticks to stardom
Remember a time when your happiness was directly linked to cricket? Fortunately for those whose mood is entirely dependent on the sporting achievements of others, cricket no longer has to bear that burden alone. Now, thanks to Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, Pakistani glory and joy is best channelled through the man's right arm, as the athlete spearheaded his way to another gold medal in the men's javelin final with an 86.40m throw at the Asian Athletics Championship in Gumi, South Korea on Saturday. As Arshad proved in spades during the Paris 2024 Olympics, powering his way to golden glory following an epic 92.7m toss of his javelin, he has become a mascot for national pride. With an inevitable rendition of Dil Dil Pakistan (our de facto shot of joy) echoing through the stadium as South Korea's small Pakistani community cheered him on, the wave of tears and celebrations spreading throughout Arshad's hometown of Mian Channu showcased his already cemented heroic status. Arshad has done what few other Pakistani sportsmen have managed: he has proved that the Olympic victory that catapulted him to global fame last year was no shot-in-the-dark fluke. Becoming the first Pakistani in 50 years to win a gold medal at the Asian Asian Athletics Championship, Arshad's latest achievement has spread a warm glow of contentment in its wake as the rest of the country shares in the vicarious joys of one man. It will come as little surprise that a handful of celebrities, too, have entered the fray as they ping congratulatory messages for Pakistan's athlete of the hour on social media. Celebs say well done Barzakh star Sanam Saeed took to her Instagram Stories to post a screenshot of Arshad's winning shot, tagging in the athlete and adding just one word: "Hero". Not to be outdone, Sanam's husband, actor and director Mohib Mirza, also registered his praise, taking to IG Stories to offer his own congratulations in Urdu as he penned, "Salaam hai, Bhai." Continuing in Urdu, he added, "Amazing!" With IG Stories clearly being the preferred medium of choice and short and sweet being the motto, actor-singer Azaan Sami Khan posted a similar victorious photo of Arshad socials. Unlike Sanam and Mohib, Azaan did not use words; instead, he relied on a simple crown emoji underneath as he, along with the rest of the nation, metaphorically labelled Arshad the undisputed king of javelin. If a picture says a thousand words, so can an emoji. Proving that the javelin has well and truly entered the popular consciousness, possibly overtaking cricket for however long Arshad's career continues, singer-songwriter Farhan Saeed also turned to IG Stories to publicly mark his pride at the sportsman's latest milestone. Pasting a screenshot of a sports headline, Farhan's post read, "Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem wins gold at [the] Asian Athletics Championship, defeating Indian competitor in [the] men's javelin final." The musician sealed his post with just one more word that summed it all up: "Congratulations." As the icing on the cake, the Maula singer added a Pakistani flag emoji. Everyone else joins in Before the 2024 Paris Olympics, you would have been hard pressed to find a bystander knowing or caring enough about the javelin beyond the fact that it is a large, heavy pointy stick – but of course, Arshad changed all that with one mighty throw and awakened a frenzy in a country where frenzy was typically reserved for team sports, and not track and field. Now, of course, all it takes is one post from Arshad himself for a newfound crew of javelin lovers to flood social media with their words of praise. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, Arshad himself posted a reel of his performance and wrote, "This victory belongs to the Almighty first - His blessings, His will. Without His grace, none of this would be possible." Remembering to thank his crew and loved ones not unlike any athlete would in a post-victory press conference (for social media has surely become an extension of press conferences for any successful athlete), Arshad remembered to add, "To my coaches, my team, my family, and every Pakistani who prayed for methis medal is yours. Your support fuels my journey. Let's keep rising for our beloved nation! Insha'Allah, more to come." Racking up over 114,000 likes in just a day on Instagram (and over 19,000 hearts on X), the comments section of Arshad's posts are now replete with messages of congratulations from his followers. "Pakistan's Ronaldo," penned one fan fondly, as another wrote on X, "What a legend. Congratulations." Pinning all hopes for the country on Arshad's capable shoulders (or rather, his right arm), yet another fan on Instagram noted, "King never disappoints us. You are inspiring multiple generations with the accolades you bring to your nation." A dig at India With Arshad's direct opponent, Sachin Yadav of India, walking away with a silver medal, it would be inconceivable that no one would bring up this irresistibly juicy fact in the comments section – although the highlight should go to one refreshingly un-salty Indian fan intent on spreading positivity. "Arshad Nadeem is number 1, with love from India!" wrote the fan alongside an Indian flag emoji. "Finally Indians have admitted that they lost the war," added another fan, unable to resist bringing up the events of May still fresh in everyone's minds. Predictably, Pakistani fans, with their expertise in using memes to extract maximum hilarity in any situation, rose to the occasion – yes, even here where no humour was needed to act as a bandaid. The "disappointed cricket fan" meme (featuring the infamously appalled man in a chequered shirt and gilet turning away in disgust) made its usual appearance in Arshad's comments section, with a fan added the explanatory caption (in case you missed it), "The entire Indian community right now." Is it fair to hold one man – Arshad – responsible for collective national happiness? As any cricketer will tell you, there is only one answer here (and it is not "yes"). But what nobody can dispute is that king of javelin throwers that he is, Arshad aims for the heart of the nation. And so far, he hasn't missed.
Express Tribune
19 hours ago
- Express Tribune
We must dig deep to figure out someone's intentions'
In an interview with Ambreen Fatima, fashion designer Hassan Sheheryar Yasin (HSY) shared his views on the vitriol that actors like Fawad Khan and Hania Aamir received for not condemning India's war crimes as strongly as their fans hoped they would. "The eyes are the windows to a man's soul. One must dig deep to figure out what someone's actual mindset and intentions are," HSY said. "I know Fawad very well, and I know how much of a die-hard Pakistani he truly is. He's my friend." The designer also added Mahira Khan to his observation. "Mahira, another friend of mine, is devoted to Pakistan. I know how much she works to promote the Pakistani sentiment and does what she can for those who cannot raise their own voices." Bringing up yet another showbiz friend, he continued, "Hania is a relatively recent entry in the industry. I've seen her since the beginning of her career. I've also worked with her. We're friends and we share mutuals. Hania is very pro-Pakistan." HSY reckoned that the criticism was fuelled by a collective anger or passion that netizens have for showbiz. "Those watching must believe that they are a part of a celebrity's life, and rightfully so because they are involved in everything, be it the movies or the promotions," he acknowledged. HSY reasoned that, perhaps, the mentioned stars weren't able to express themselves as strongly as their fans were hoping they would. "I can't say anything about that because your opinions are valid," he said. "But I can vouch for my friends and safely say that they didn't intend to cause any hurt." The designer added that everyone can speculate as much as they want, but they won't have the answers to everything. In the same way, he can speak about Fawad at a friend's capacity, nothing less or more. "I am aware of the public's disapproval of his statement," HSY said. "Because he is my friend, I'll share my perception of him. But neither has anyone paid me to do so nor is this benefitting me in any way. HSY is going to remain HSY. But I can uplift someone else's truth because that's the right thing to do." He, however, reiterated that public criticisms weren't misplaced. "Yes, the public's belief that celebrities should confidently speak out is valid. And we are the ones who should be taking that stand because every drop counts and makes one Pakistan, which is not a small thing. So wherever I am qualified to talk about Pakistan, I try to do so to the best of my abilities," he vowed. What the stars said Following India's aerial attack on Pakistani civilians last month, multiple local celebrities took to social media to condemn the aggression, stand in solidarity with the victims, and call out Indian celebrities who celebrated the loss of lives in Pakistan. This included Mahira, who decried India's "war and hate rhetoric" and asserted that the Indian entertainment industry was claiming victory in fear-induced silence. "To me, that silence is your greatest defeat. You attack cities in the middle of the night and call it a victory? Shame on you," she said. Fawad, meanwhile, offered his deepest condolences to those injured and killed in "this shameful attack". Adding a prayer for the deceased and the bereaved, he said, "A respectful request to all: stop stoking the flames with rabble-rousing words. It's not worth the lives of innocent people. May better sense prevail, InshaAllah. Pakistan Zindabad!" Joining the chorus, Hania rued India's aggression with a heavy heart. "A child is gone. Families are shattered. And for what? This is not how you protect anyone. This is cruelty - plain and simple. You don't get to bomb innocent people and call it a strategy. This isn't strength. This is shameful. This is cowardly. And we see you." Netizens criticised some of the artists for not outright naming India as the aggressor and upholding peaceful sentiments while Indian artists stood by their war-mongering narrative.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Nisho's note for Rambo
When veteran actor Nisho (also affectionately known as Nisho Jee) takes the stage, expect fireworks, flair, and maybe even a little family poetry. Appearing on a local chat show on DAY, the Rangeela icon lit up the studio with a delightful tribute to son-in-law and actor Jan Rambo. Rambo, born Afzal Khan, rose to fame with '90s action-comedy films and tied the knot with Sahiba, Nisho's daughter and fellow film star, in 1998. Still going strong, the couple has raised two sons. In the middle of the segment, Nisho playfully launched into a couplet that had the audience roaring with laughter, and then sighing with admiration. With her signature flair, she described the curious evolution of Pakistani sons-in-law: "Neechi nazrein aur phool sa lehja, har khata se yeh paak hotay hain / Joon he shaadi ho aur banein damaad, bohot khaufnaak hotay hain." As the room erupted in response, Nisho clarified that this was not a cheeky dig at Rambo. "There is no need to praise my son-in-law. Everyone already knows Jan Rambo!" She furthered on, "When daughters marry men like him, their futures are nothing short of radiant." Clips from the show quickly went viral, with many calling it "the mother-in-law moment of the year." In the same interview, she revealed that suitors still propose to her but added, "Men are disloyal; they're often after a woman's money." She clarified, "Not all, but some." While her contemporaries like Sangeeta, Bushra Ansari, and Samina Ahmed married, she said she won't. "I was foolish about love and marriage when I was young. Now, I have wisdom," she said, laughing, a moment that made everyone else laugh too. Tensions once brewed between the actor and her son-in-law, particularly when Rambo reunited Sahiba with her estranged father after decades. This act of love, though complicated, led to a moment Sahiba would never forget. In March 2024, she met her biological father, Inam Rabbani, for the very first time, an emotional reunion captured in a video on her YouTube channel. Clips circulating online showed tearful embraces, hesitant confessions, and a father overwhelmed by guilt and gratitude. After 42 years of silence, Rabbani told Sahiba he had held on just to apologise before he died. Sahiba, moved by his remorse, chose to forgive him. While she expressed lingering fears of abandonment, she listened as he acknowledged Rambo as a good husband.
