In this era of morning shows, there is hardly any one morning when the content or theme of the show is of ant social, academic or intellectual benefit to its audience or just anyone in the society. They range from silly superficial themes to some downright inappropriate acts during the early hours of the day.

Pakistanis are often left wondering if there is any kind of check and control over these TV Channels and their morning shows regarding the quality of their content.

There is one such institution actually, even though it usually does not interfere due to the balancing act between freedom of expression and protection of societal moral values.

After a lot of social media backlash against a particular morning show where the host had organised a dance competition between young kids on cheap Bollywood item numbers, PEMRA have taken notice. It has clearly issued directives to the TV Channels to monitor the content of their morning shows viligantly.

Everyone in Pakistan is so glad to see Supreme Court taking notice against all those platforms that are going against the laws and promoting such content on the screen.

Another dark day in the Republic. A third year MBBS student from Kohat was murdered in cold blood after she refused a marriage proposal.

Mujahid Afridi and his accomplice, identified as Sadiqullah, shot Asma Rani dead on Saturday after she reportedly turned down a marriage proposal by the former. Rani, a student in Ayub Medical College, had named Afridi as her killer in a statement before her death.

Celebrities from our entertainment industry are standing up for the justice. Mahira Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi and Armeena Khan took to Twitter to voice their concerns over the matter.

Hamza Ali Abbasi called out authorities to capture the murderer and tweeted,

“Mujahid Afridi is a cold blooded murderer who must be brought to justice asap. Arresting his brother for aiding his escape is fine but KP authorities must get him deported from Saudi Arabia and get him punished. May Allah’s curse be upon you Mujahid Afridi,” 

#JusticeForAsmaRani Mujahid Afridi is a cold blooded murderer who must be brought to justice asap. Arresting his brother for aiding his escape is fine but KP authorities must get him deported from Saudi Arabia & get him punished. May Allah's curse be upon you Mujahid Afridi. pic.twitter.com/byL88hK2uU

— Hamza Ali Abbasi (@iamhamzaabbasi) January 30, 2018

Mahira subtly conveyed her message and said,

“No outrage, no hue and cry seems to make a difference to those in power. Only thing that seems to change are the names attached to the hashtags,” 

No outrage, no hue and cry seems to make a difference to those in power. Only thing that seems to change are the names attached to the hashtags.

— Mahira Khan (@TheMahiraKhan) January 30, 2018

Armeena expressed her disgust over the sad turn of events by saying,

“Okay, so now you’re killed because you say no to a marriage proposal? Wah banday teri Anah ko Salam. I’m actually at a loss of words. RIP Asma, hopefully you will not have died in vain. Maybe someone might take notice and change the system. I feel sick,” 

https://twitter.com/ArmeenaRK/status/958018137454252032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftribune.com.pk%2Fstory%2F1622651%2F4-stars-unite-justiceforasma%2F

She further added,

“There is a cultural war going on for the very soul of Pakistan, who we are as a people, these acts define us as a nation. On one side there is civil society and on the other barbarity. We all. Must decide which side we are on and fight for it as if our very breath depended on it.”

Zeb Bangash is a very talented singer and whatever she touches practically turns into gold. Her soothing voice always feels like magic and she keeps coming out with new music every now and then. Last we heard her voice on Pepsi Battle Of The Bands and now she is back with Ibn e Insha’s Farz Karo in her melodious voice. Here listen to it:

Do you like it? Mention in comments!

Urwa Hocane had appeared in more films than any other actress last year. Her luck, it seems to have spilled over in 2018 as well. She will now be seen in “Kaaf Kangna” by Khalil ur Rehman Qamar, who himself has informed this to Hip.

Kaaf Kangna is a romantic movie telling the story between a Pakistani boy and an Indian girl by the very philosophical love witer Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar and is a joint venture of ISPR and KRQ films.

The movie was first an Anoushey Mughal starrer who was replaced by Sohai Ali Abro as the female lead, but things did not work out as planned and now Urwa is the main protagonist  in the film instead of Sohai.

There are big names from the music industry associated with the movie such as Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Atif Aslam. The lead characters of hero and heroine are to be executed by Sami Khan and Urwa Hocane now.

Model-turned-singer Mathira recently shared the news of her divorce from Dubai-based Punjabi rapper, Flint J. The couple tied the knot back in 2013 and has a son anmed Aahil, together.

The divorce has clearly left Mathira heart broken for the model took to her Instagram and had a melt down there and said,

“I tried to keep this marriage, I tried my best to hold on. It was not easy and yes, people will judge me in because the woman is always blamed and labelled. Yes, the divorce is done. Everything I am going through and went through, only I know and I don’t need anyone to know it. I was supporting my self and my child this whole time and will carry on doing so. I loved you and still do.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BegCoZQHgns/?utm_source=ig_embed

Mathira went on to add,

“I realised I am not rich. But I have my son to look forward to! I will teach him how to make a home and not break one because he is going to be a dad and some beautiful girl’s husband as well one day.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeisLdHnodF/?utm_source=ig_embed

She also said,

“Marriage ends with people and papers, love does not need papers,” 

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Saba Qamar made her Bollywood debut alongside acclaimed actor Irrfan Khan in Hindi Medium. The starlet recently bagged her first Filmfare Award nomination for Best Actor (Female) in a Leading Role. Irrfan Khan won the Best Actor (Male) in a Leading Role for the film, while Hindi Medium was crowned the Best Film.

We recently covered the news of the film coming back with a sequel after making 102 crores on the box office, the article can be read here.

‘Hindi Medium’ Is Getting A Sequel

The Baaghi starlet believes that the success of her Bollywood debut has proved the talent of Pakistani artists. Talking to APP, Saba said,

”I hope my hard work has brightened the name of Pakistan and our film industry globally. With the grace of God, I received a positive response for my first venture in our neighbouring country,”

She went on to add,

“After the massive success of Hindi Medium, the producers are all set for a schedule. I hope Irrfan and I get to work in the second installment of the blockbuster.”

We sure do hope we get to see the Mitho-Raj duo back together in the second installment of the franchise.

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Hands down only few tracks have managed to get the recognition that Arif Lohar’s and Meesha Shafi’s Jugni from coke studio got or may be I should write “is getting” for the song is still being covered by artists across the globe.

This time it is an Australian artist sitting on his wooden stool with his guitar in a street and boy are we loving his rendition of ‘Jugni’ or what!

This #Australian street artist must do a collaboration with Arif Lohar and @itsmeeshashafi ASAP because he's FANTASTIC! Listen to the full song at :https://t.co/FFk8lgjl3I pic.twitter.com/kqSXhXaa39

— Patari (@patarimusic) January 29, 2018

I mean just listen to the guy’s punjabi accent, I am totally fangirling over him and you are welcome to join.

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Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s nephew Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is going back to his roots and has decided to celebrate 2018 as the year of qawwali. According to a private news channel the renowned singer has planned 100 shows around the world.

The shows will be held in different countries such as United States, Canada, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Morocco, South Africa, Kenya, Nepal, Bangladesh, and of course, Pakistan.

According to Rahat the 100 concerts seek to pay a tribute to the lasting legacy of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

“I am basically a qawwal and the poetry of sufi saints runs in my veins. Qawwali is at the heart of our family traditions, and my ancestors have worked hard to develop this genre of music and introduce it to the world.”

He further added,

“Qawwali and I are inseparable. It runs in my blood. Whatever I am performing, qawwali is always at the heart of it. It gives me the unique edge in all the music that I do,”

Appreciating the contributions of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to the world of music, Khan said,

“The world of music has not seen a qawwal that is parallel to Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He glorified the art of qawwali and took the art of international audiences. He won many awards and accolades for his performances.”

Salman Ahmed – promoter of the singer’s concert tours at a press conference shared,

“2018 will be celebrated as the year of the Qawali. The qawwalis of the famous poets and saints of the sub-continent will be brought back to life.”

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Ayesha Khan has lately being a part of projects which bring about new topics in audiences’ focus. She last was seen as a mother of a transgender child in Khuda Mera Bhi Hai and now she will be seen as the mother of a girl suffering from thalassemia. Alongside her, Gohar Rasheed is also a part of Mer Nanhi Pari. Here are the promos of the show:

This one really looks good. Are you looking forward to it?

Samina Peerzada’s latest show on youtube is a treat to watch and only because of the way Samina conducts her show. She politely asks different questions from her guests and never indulges in too much controversy. Her soft demeanour makes this a must watch celebrity show. So, Momina Mustehsan was also a guest and she told her fans about some interesting facts about her life. Here are some things she shared on the show:

1. Momina comes from an Army background and was born in Quetta. Her family is so scattered all over the globe that it becomes difficult for her to classify herself from initially belonging to a single city.

2. She had her schooling from different parts of the world and is super focused on her education. She is a biomedical engineer and a mathematician as she did her major n these two fields.

3. Her mother and elder brother are both doctors but she wanted to do something different. So, she chose a different field and excelled in it, and got selected for 40 under 40 most successful graduates at her university.

4. Singing is a hobby for Momina and all her family has really good voices too. She was very close to her grandmother and she and her grandma used to sing old songs.

5. She has developed a solar-powered vaccine transport cooler to help carry vaccines for polio which will help on the road to eradicating polio.

Hamza Ali Abbasi is an avid Imran Khan fan and a very active supporter of his party; Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf. He was very expressive on social media in favor of Imran Khan for a long time, and then he started anchoring a talk show on Bol Tv which shows his political inclination very clearly. (thewriteofyourlife.org)

However, Hamza’s support to Imran Khan is not limited to politics. He is a very active participant in raising funds for Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital. For that reason, he will be joining Imran Khan in Islamabad for a fundraising gala dinner to gather donations needed for continuing services of the cancer hospital.

The dinner is organised at Bahria Enclave for the fourth of February, so if you live in Islamabad or will be there that weekend, you can meet both the super heroes at one place, and all for a good cause.

If you have followed the story of Muniba Mazari, you will get to understand how one woman can conquer all the odds, win all the battles and smile through it all. Her troubles are not your mundane everyday ones but those of life, death, paralysis, divorce and infertility.

However, she made lemonade out of all the lemons thrown at her and is now an artist, a celebrity, a philanthropist, included in Forbes 30 under 30 list and above all, a proud single mother.

Last year, she mentioned her ex husband in a TED talk in Malaysia, telling that he was driving the car when the fatal accident took place and jumped out to save his own life. This was met with criticism, recounting of her old interviews which were contradictory to this story and ultimately sued for defamation by her ex husband.

There was a lot of backlash with some people supporting Muniba and some totally turned against her. In a recent Facebook post, she posted the end of this legal battle that she has been cleared of the defamation lawsuit and charges against her dropped.

What a profound moment of joy for Muniba Mazari !!!

Akhri Station is a social awareness mini series, directed by Sarmad Khoosat and starring Sanam Saeed, Mikaal Zulfiqar and Nimra Buccha in the lead roles.

It is backed by Kashaf Foundation and will be a purposeful play highlighting the issues faced by women in our social and culture setup.

The play will be airing on ARY Digital and will serve to address the mental health issues, economic stresses and how they affect the women and children.

Sanam Saeed is playing the role of a depression patient and if we go by her past performances, she will certainly be a very relatable and engrossing character in the drama.

Maya Ali is very generous as far as showing appreciation for talent and acknowledging good work is concerned. Saba Qamar is on the top of her game with Baaghi turning out as a hit and her Bollywood debut film Hindi Medium coming out as the best movie of the year 2017. Maya sent her congratulations to Saba on this success with some beautiful gifts and a card. Here is the friendly exchange between the two actresses:

Such a beautiful exchange of love!

PSL is back. All Pakistanis will again be under that spell where what matters most are the timings of the next match. And the anthem of the most anticipated event of the year is out and this time too it is sung by Ali Zafar. With the video featuring Ramiz Raja, Shahid Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Shoaib Malik along with other stars, the video is sure a star-studded one. Get ready for Dil Se Jaan Laga De and watch the anthem here:

And yes Ramiz Raja is playing drums and dancing in case you thought if you imagined it ?

Both Shehroz Sabzwari and Mansha Pasha are parts of big projects airing on our television screens. Shehroz is playing a lead character in Teri Raza while Mansha Pasha is winning hearts in Aangan. Both the stars will be coming together in a new drama Parvarish.

Our dramas are working towards highlighting different issues prevailing in our society. Parvarish is also going to be one with the same objective. It will focus on the standards of upbringing a child and how the parents’ style of upbringing brings a difference to the life of the child as well as society.

Shehroz is playing two lead roles right now and none of them is super popular while Mansha is a part of a very entertaining project. How will Parvarish captivate the audiences? That will be a thing to watch!

Shehzad Roy is a celebrity who has made a name for himself in everything he has done. His music is loved by millions and his philanthropy is not a hidden thing either. Shehzad is now going to step towards the world of cinema and he will be creatively involved in the projects.

Shehzad has two scripts with him right now, one written by Faisal Qureshi and the other by Anwar Maqsood sahab. Right now he is busy with PSL which is starting in Dubai from 22nd February. After that, he will be involved in the filmmaking. Whether he is going to act in the project or not will depend upon the demand of the script and how the role fits Shehzad.

Are you looking forward to Shehzad’s new side?

Fahad Mustafa has come a long way professionally. From getting minor roles to being one of the most expensive actors and game show hosts of today, he is success personified. He is also a doting dad to seven year old Fatima and two year old Moosa.

Recently, he held a birthday party for his kids, attended by stars and their families along with Fahad and Sana’s family and friends.

Here are some of the pictures from the well organised affair. You can spot Benita David and Sunita Marshal and Hassan Ahmed and their kids.

We can see that the birthday boy and girl had a great time. Wishing the cutie pies a very happy birthday.

Farhan Saeed has ventured into acting now but the star will never leave his musical roots in the industry. He keeps giving us different musical numbers time and time again. This time Farhan has come out with a light-hearted song which can lighten anyone’s mood. While roaming in the streets, Farhan falls in love with his leading lady in the video and you will fall in love with the subtleness of the song. With the start of 2018, it is good to hear new music being added to Pakistani musical industry. Here watch the video:

https://youtu.be/w0w-s5UyTNU

Did you like it? Share in comments!

This Tuesday Pakistani Twitter was enraged when the editor-in-chief of Newsweek Pakistan issued a series of tweets minimising child sexual abuse and made lewd comments to female critics.

Faish Ahmed, a former staff writer at the Wall Street Journal, tweeted:

“The sexual abuse of children will always exist. You can never eliminate it. Sometimes it leads to great art. So there’s also that.”

The comment was Ahmed’s take on the current furore in Pakistan surrounding the rape and murder of 12 children as young as 6 years old by a serial killer in the city of Kasur.

The Newsweek journalist also appeared to think it was a good thing that the killer’s victims were all female, tweeting:

“On the bright side, at least he’s straight.”

Ahmed also made light of rape more generally, joking,

”Rape by, say, Tom Cruise is everyone’s dream come true”,

and suggesting that sexual assault by Harvey Weinstein would be rape but sexual assault by cricketer Imran Khan would not be, “because one is ugly and one isn’t.”

Asked if he would make the same comments about child abuse producing “great art” regarding slavery, Ahmed asserted:

“Slavery did lead to incredible art. No questions there”.

People called him out for making a mockery out of child abuse. Alyssa Milano, the American actress who initiated the #MeToo campaign, tweeted to Newsweek about Fasih.

https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/955965627755266048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.samaa.tv%2Fpakistan%2F2018%2F01%2Ffasih-ahmed-backlash-tweets-abuse%2F

To which Newsweek responded,

Recent tweets by Newsweek Pakistan editor @therealfasih do not represent the views of @Newsweek. We are reviewing our relationship with @NewsweekPak, which operates under a license agreement.

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) January 24, 2018

Fasih Ahmed also happened to be a board member of Lahore Literary Festival so this sparked a call for a boycott of LLF until Ahmed was removed from the board and later the LLF announced that Fasih Ahmed has resigned from the board of the Lahore Literary Festival.

Ahmed later issued a public apology on Twitter:

My tweets of yesterday were coming from anger, were poorly phrased, and misread. I’m sorry to have upset the people who have survived child abuse. I have been angry at the conspiracy of silence around this evil. #MeToo #StopChildAbuse

— fasih (@therealfasih) January 24, 2018

Personally I do not understand how those words can be excused in the name of “dark humor” and neither did the rest of the twitter so they didn’t stop until they made LLF remove Ahmed from the board. Let this be a reminder that be it Pakistani Elite or criminals with Political support no one is off the hook and if we stand together we can hold people accountable for their actions. Let it be known that their actions have consequences.

After huge success of this Saba Qamar Irrfan Khan starrer the producers of Hindi Medium have confirmed that the audience will definitely see a sequel. Hindi Medium was nominated in multiple categories at the recent Filmfare awards, including best actress for Saba Qamar. The film bagged two awards, best film and best actor (Irrfan).

Dinesh Vijan of Maddock Films and Bhushan Kumar of T-Series are reuniting and the script for Hindi Medium 2 is almost complete as reported by ‘Times Now’. About the project Dinesh said,

“We have just finished typing the second part. We are very excited about it. We need to be very responsible for it because now the film is everybody’s. Now we are happy on the paper. Just finishing touches are being put,” 

He further added,

“We started writing immediately after May-June last year. It has taken us 6-7 months to finish. We had structured the first part in a way which can help us go ahead with the sequel because this kind of film deserves one. Also, it’s important to do franchisable films.”

Talking about his film’s success, Dinesh gushed,

“It is a very special film. It had this universal acceptance. It happens very rarely and I hope it happens more and more for the business. You don’t know about these things until you are there. But I am really happy with the way Filmfare has backed good content this year. It gives us a lot of encouragement. It will urge you to work harder. That’s what it’s about. I am really happy.”

Will we see the Mitho-Raj duo reunite for the sequel as well is a question yet to be answered but we are being told the cast will be announced soon. Fingers crossed.

Earlier this week we got to see the cinematic trailer of Rehan Sheikh’s Azad which was pretty intriguing given that nothing much was revealed about the plot and the movie has managed to keep the subtlety maintained in this new song called ‘Tehriye Hazoor’ as well.

The song is an ode to the black and white 60’s era beautifully combined with Jazz music. The song is sung and composed by Schumaila Hussain.

The film stars Rehan Sheikh, Sabreen Hisbani, Salman Shahid and Sanam Saeed. Azad will be making it’s way to big screens on 9th of February.

Mere Bewafa is an upcoming play with the popular on and off the screen couple Agha Ali and Sarah Khan as the male and female leads.

Agha Ali has also recently started singing and released his own video album, again starring Sarah Khan. This time he has paired up with Aima Baig to sing the OST of Mere Bewafa drama. It’s called Duhayiaan and the music is composed by Qasim Azhar. Agha Ali has written the lyrics himself too.

With Agha Ali who has enthusiastically become a singer with the hashtag ab music ki bari and Aima Baig who has established a name in the music industry, it will definitely be interesting to hear how the duo sound together.