KARACHI: As more and more notable Pakistanis test positive for COVID-19, Arab News spoke to some members of the entertainment and fashion industries about their experience with the coronavirus, the road to recovery and the lessons learnt along the way:
Abrar ul Haq, famed singer, politician and philanthropist, told Arab News on Sunday that he suspected he had caught the virus while building a coronavirus hospital in Lahore, and soon learnt that his wife and son were also positive, though his one-and-a-half-year-old daughter was not. The family immediately quarantined in different rooms of the house for almost 20 days and received advice from doctors over the phone while the daughter was sent to live with her grandmother.
Haq said he had used his time in quarantine to produce a song, soon to be released on his YouTube channel, which paid tribute to the doctors and nurses fighting against the coronavirus outbreak.
Yasir Nawaz, a film and television actor and director, and his wife Nida Yasir, a famous morning show host, both tested positive for the coronavirus in May, and quarantined themselves in the upper portion of their house, isolating themselves from their children and household staff. The maids who brought them food were given PPE suits to wear, Yasir said.
“We used disposable plates and cups and didn’t waste our trash outside but kept it in a separate place on the terrace,” Yasir added.
An asymptomatic carrier, she tested negative for the virus in 14 days and believes a clean diet and strong immune system might have helped keep her safe from complications.
“I was already taking lots of fruits and vegetables,” she said. “Besides I was regular on Vitamin C, Zinc and Calcium for my general wellbeing, that also worked against COVID.”
Yasir said she had wanted to donate her plasma but doctors advised that as an asymptomatic carrier, her plasma probably had not produced enough antibodies needed for the treatment, which involves the infusion of plasma from a recovered COVID-19 patient to a recovering one as a source of antibodies, a widely sought method in Pakistan despite limited information on its effectiveness.
Yasir’s husband Nawaz, however, said he had donated his plasma to Dow University Karachi and was informed by the hospital that his plasma had been infused in a number of patients, of which one woman who had been on a ventilator was now recovering.
Maheen Khan, a 75-year-old top Pakistani fashion designer, said her symptoms included fever, body pains and headache and she also lost her sense of taste and smell.
“I had read a lot about the virus, so I immediately tested myself and after testing positive, just quarantined myself at home for the next 21 days,” she said, adding that she opted for a “holistic approach” to recovery, staying away from all medication except pain killers and eating raw food like mango with yogurt, milk and honey, and taking lots of Vitamin C. She also tried to rest a lot and do breathing exercises.
“Calm yourself first if hit by the virus, try your best to be cured at your will but if the symptoms still get worse, see a doctor,” Khan said. “At 75, I put myself on strict care as I was the most vulnerable.”
COVID-19: Pakistani celebrities who have lived to tell the tale
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COVID-19: Pakistani celebrities who have lived to tell the tale
- Arab News speaks to notable Pakistanis about their experience testing positive for the coronavirus and the road to recovery
- Around 234,509 Pakistanis have so far tested positive, many of them politicians and celebrities from the entertainment and fashion industries
Volleyball returns to Azad Kashmir border village as fragile India-Pakistan ceasefire holds
- As guns fall silent in Battal sector, youth return to riverside ground with message of peace, memories of fallen friend
- Anwar Taskeen, 17-year-old student and regular at the matches, was killed in shelling hours before May 10 ceasefire
Battal Sector, Azad Kashmir: On a dusty, uneven patch of ground beside the Poonch River, the rhythmic thud of a volleyball hitting palms and sand rose above the late afternoon quiet.
It’s a familiar sound in the border village of Jhawara, located in the Poonch district of Azad Kashmir, the part of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir that is governed by Pakistan. But until recently, it had fallen silent under the roar of artillery and gunfire.
Just weeks ago, the area bore the brunt of intense cross-border shelling between India and Pakistan. The Line of Control (LoC), a jagged and heavily militarized de facto boundary slicing through the disputed region, once again became a flashpoint for conflict, forcing families into hiding and pausing everyday joys like this daily volleyball match.
Now, with a tenuous ceasefire in place since May 10 — brokered with help from Washington — the boys are back on the field.
For them, the return to play is more than a pastime. It’s an act of defiance, remembrance, and quiet hope.
“There has been firing here before but now it doesn’t feel scary,” said Hamid Fareed, 18, as he waited to serve. “There is a ceasefire in place now, which is why we play with peace of mind. Before, when there used to be firing, we didn’t play here.”
The Battal sector, situated at one of the most sensitive stretches of the LoC, was at the heart of last month’s escalation, with the shelling so heavy residents were forced to evacuate, and even the simple joy of a volleyball match became too dangerous to risk.
Among those displaced were the families of the boys who now fill the field each evening from 4pm until the sunset maghrib prayer. Many had sought shelter with relatives in safer villages farther from the border during the latest fighting. Others, like Fareed, stayed behind but refrained from venturing out unnecessarily.
The violence still didn’t spare the players. Anwar Taskeen, a 17-year-old student and regular at the matches, was killed in shelling on his home just hours before the ceasefire was announced.
“Our brother who got martyred [on May 10, 2025] used to play volleyball with us,” said Muhammad Nawaz, one of Anwar’s closest friends. “He used to come every day.”
“When they [Indian forces] fire, they target civilians and army posts as well,” he added.
SYMBOL OF NORMALCY
Now that calm has returned, at least for the moment, the boys are determined to reclaim the ground and the normalcy it represents. Most days, they split into two teams of six, playing until darkness falls. Laughter, shouts, and the squeak of rubber slippers on hard soil fill the air.
But the volleyball field isn’t just a space for play. It’s also a space of memory.
Taskeen’s absence lingers. So too does the knowledge that peace here is often fleeting.
“There are beautiful places on that side, people should get to enjoy them. And people from there should be able to come here,” said Abdul Hannan, another student who recently completed his intermediate studies.
“Many people there [Indian-administered], in Jammu and Kashmir, play as well,” Hannan added. “We watch their videos to gain skills. They are playing better than us. We also get motivated by watching them.”
The boys recalled that some former players who used to compete on this very field had now moved abroad in search of better opportunities. From afar, many continued to support the volleyball tradition, pooling together funds to help maintain the ground.
Their latest contribution helped install a protective net, now in place for six to seven years, which keeps the ball from rolling into the river and drifting downstream toward the Indian side.
“WE JUST WANT PEACE”
The Poonch River marks both a border and a lifeline for the region. On hot days, the boys often dive into its cool waters to beat the heat, even as Indian army posts watch from across the bank.
That same river has seen far more than games but carried the sounds of shelling, the cries of displaced families, and now, the echoes of a volleyball match played in the name of peace.
During Ramadan and other special occasions, the field hosts semi-annual tournaments. Teams travel from neighboring towns and villages to compete, a reminder that even in a conflict zone, community and competition endure.
“When there is peace, we can play. That’s all we want,” Fareed saiid.
India and Pakistan have long shared a contentious relationship over Kashmir, with flare-ups along the LoC occurring frequently despite periodic agreements. The current ceasefire too is fragile, its future uncertain. But on this side of the Poonch River, young players are daring to imagine something more permanent — not through diplomacy, but through volleyball, through shared videos, playful rivalries, and quiet tributes to friends lost. And through simple, hopeful wishes — that one day, the people of Kashmir might cross the border not as enemies, but as guests.
“We just want peace,” Hannan repeated softly. “That’s all we’ve ever wanted.”
Pakistan-origin Mahnoor Qazi wins James Baldwin award for fiction
- The James Baldwin Award for Fiction is one of six creative writing awards given by Penguin Random House
- Qazi, whose entry ‘Eternity’ won $10,000 prize, aims to connect literature with the deepest human emotions
ISLAMABAD: Mahnoor Qazi, a Pakistani-origin high school student in the US state of California, has won the inaugural James Baldwin Award for Fiction, the organizers announced this week.
The James Baldwin Award for Fiction is one of six creative writing awards given by Penguin Random House, touted as the world’s largest trade book publisher, as part of their signature Creative Writing Awards (CWA) program. The award is named after Baldwin, a novelist, essayist, playwright, poet and critic.
Qazi, an aspiring writer who attends Golden Valley High School in California, is dedicated to connecting the art of literature with the deepest human emotions. Her entry ‘Eternity’ won the first-place prize of $10,000.
“As his niece, it has been an honor to select the recipient of the James Baldwin Award for fiction. Traveling the creative landscape of students with insightful narrative voices has been inspiring,” Baldwin’s niece Darlene Burnett said.
“They continue to demonstrate that the power of words can inform minds, fuel the imagination, and construct narratives that compel us to read and to feel. They are the literary architects of the future.”
Other categories included the Freedom of Expression Award, Michelle Obama Award for Memoir, the Amanda Gorman Award for Poetry, and the Maya Angelou Award for Spoken Word.
Since 1993, the Penguin Random House CWA program has awarded more than $2.9 million to public high school students for their original compositions.
In addition to scholarships, the publisher hosts a virtual development week for the CWA winners each summer that includes networking workshops, a panel about career opportunities in publishing, and fireside chats with Penguin Random House authors.
Pakistani, Muslim leaders share Eid greetings, offer special prayers for Gaza
- Israel’s military campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, Palestinian officials say
- The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90 percent of its population
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday exchanged Eid Al-Adha greetings with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Bahrain, Jordan and other Muslim nations and offered special prayers for the people of Gaza.
Eid Al-Adha is one of the two most important festivals of the Islamic calendar, marked by Muslims in Pakistan and around the world by slaughtering animals such as sheep and goats, and distributing their meat among family, friends and the poor.
Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Dar held a telephonic conversation with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and exchanged warm Eid greetings, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported. They prayed for peace, prosperity and well-being of Muslims across the world.
Separately, PM Sharif held a telephonic conversation with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and conveyed his warm greetings to him and the brotherly people of Oman on the Eid Al-Adha.
“While exchanging Eid wishes, the two leaders prayed for unity and harmony among the Muslim Ummah. They also offered special prayers for the people of Gaza,” Sharif’s office said.
The development came as at least four Palestinians were killed and others were wounded by Israeli fire around a kilometer from an aid distribution point in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian health officials and witnesses said on Sunday.
Israel’s military campaign has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian Health Ministry. The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90 percent of its population. The territory’s roughly 2 million Palestinians are almost completely reliant on international aid because nearly all of Gaza’s food production capabilities have been destroyed.
The Pakistani leaders also held similar calls and exchange of Eid greetings with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Jordan’s King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon, Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Pakistan Navy urges ‘result-oriented’ collective actions as world marks Oceans Day
- World Oceans Day is observed on June 8 each year and this year’s theme is ‘Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us’
- The navy says it is undertaking initiatives to safeguard oceans against pollution, over-fishing and climate change
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Navy on Sunday urged “result-oriented” collective actions to safeguard oceans against pollution, over-fishing and climate change, its Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) said, on the occasion of the World Oceans Day.
World Oceans Day is observed on June 8 each year and this year’s theme is ‘Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us,’ which resonates with the oceans’ vital role in underpinning all life on earth. Covering over 70 percent of Earth, oceans are a key source of oxygen, a regulator of climate and immeasurably support biodiversity, all of which are essential to global livelihoods.
As the principal custodian of Pakistan’s maritime domain, the navy said, it is undertaking substantive initiatives like implementing remedial measures for preventing oil spills at sea, enforcing pollution control measures and banning destructive fishing nets to encourage healthy practices and sustainable use of ocean resources.
“World Oceans Day calls upon us to move beyond the reflexive acknowledgment and take result-oriented collective actions,” the navy quoted its Public Relations director-general as saying.
“To this end, I call upon all the stakeholders to join hands with Pakistan Navy and adopt safe and sustainable practices to secure our oceans’ vitality. Collectively, we can avail this immense endowment in the shape of our rich oceans, preserve their enduring majesty and secure the lifeblood they provide, for our future generations.”
The statement came ahead of a United Nations (UN) Ocean Conference in Nice, France on June 9-13, which will not only focus on accelerating actions for conservation and sustainable use of oceans but also identify ways to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources by building partnerships.
“For Pakistan, our long coastline and rich marine resources constitute a national trust. This vital treasure trove of biodiversity is facing rapid deterioration and demands immediate and robust intervention by all stakeholders,” the navy said.
“Recognizing our obligation to the environment, Pakistan Navy is also instilling ecological ethos through awareness drives and crucial partnerships. To mark the occasion, National Institute of Maritime Affairs (NIMA) has organized one day international seminar to create awareness about the issue and highlight ways and means to protect our oceans.”
Pakistan delegation in UK after ‘successful’ talks in New York on India conflict
- India and Pakistan last month engaged in the worst fighting between them in decades, killing 70 people on both sides
- Pakistani delegates are currently visiting key capitals as part of efforts to present Islamabad’s stance on the standoff
KARACHI: A Pakistani delegation has arrived in the United Kingdom (UK) as part of Islamabad’s diplomatic outreach over last month’s military conflict with India, following their “successful” talks in New York.
India and Pakistan engaged in the worst fighting between them in decades, raising fears of the prospect of an all-out nuclear war. After both countries traded heavy fire for four days, pounding each other with missiles, fighter jets and drone strikes, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between them on May 10.
The nine-member Pakistan delegation, led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, held several meetings with representatives of the United Nations (UN), its member states and US officials to present Pakistan’s stance on the standoff with India and peace in the region.
The Pakistan delegates said the purpose of their meetings was to have peace in the region and to have talks with New Delhi on all India-Pakistan issues, including the restoration of the Indus Waters Treaty and the resolution of Kashmir dispute.
“We have explained to them [US officials] that Pakistan’s water, this is a civilization, the lives of 240 million people, their culture [depend on it],” Khurram Dastgir, a Pakistani lawmaker who is part of the delegation, told a Pakistani news channel in the UK.
“We explained this to America that their economic partnership with India, it will not bring about that development if India and Pakistan will perpetually remain [in a state of] war.”
India announced in April that it was putting the 1960 World Bank-mediated treaty in abeyance after it accused Pakistan of backing an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. Islamabad denied complicity in the attack that killed 26 people.
Jalil Abbas Jilani, a former Pakistani foreign secretary, said they held quite constructive talks with members of the UN Security Council during their New York visit.
“Basically, our message was that India committed an aggression and that Pakistan is a peaceful country... Pakistan wants all India-Pakistan issues to be resolved in a peaceful manner,” he said.
Pakistani senator Sherry Rehman, who was also part of the talks, said the main objective of their discussions was peace in the region.
“Our goal was peace, promote dialogue, to have the status of water treaty changed, which they [India] have unilaterally suspended, and to start a discussion on Kashmir,” she said.
The Pakistani delegates are expected to meet key UK officials during their visit to highlight Pakistan’s perspective on last month’s conflict and its possible consequences for the region.
British foreign minister David Lammy is the highest-profile Western official to have visited both New Delhi and Islamabad since the South Asian neighbors agreed to a ceasefire last month.
“We want the situation to be maintained, but of course we recognize fragility, particularly in the backdrop of terrorism, terrorism designed to destabilize India,” Lammy said, adding that he discussed the next steps with both Modi and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, but gave no specifics. “We are keen to continue to work with our Indian partners on counter-terrorism measures.”
India and Pakistan, bitter rivals since they gained independence in 1947 from British rule, have fought three wars, including two over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir.
Both countries administer Kashmir in parts but claim the region entirely. Pakistan accuses India of occupying Kashmir and denying its people their right to self-determination. It regularly calls on India to abide by the United Nations Security Council resolutions and hold a transparent plebiscite in the territory.
India, on the other hand, accuses Pakistan of arming and funding militant separatists in the part of Kashmir it administers. Islamabad has denied the allegations and says it extends only diplomatic and moral support to the people of Indian-administered Kashmir.
