Director of groundbreaking new women-led Pakistani series hopes men will watch too

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Updated 11 August 2020
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Director of groundbreaking new women-led Pakistani series hopes men will watch too

  • Asim Abbasi says his “job is done” if the series 'Churail' helps men become empathetic toward women’s issues
  • Says he titled the series Churail to subvert the meaning of a word that was long been used to label women negatively

KARACHI: The British-Pakistani director of a new groundbreaking Pakistani TV show that aims to put the spotlight on stereotypes about Pakistani women said he hopes men too will watch the show and develop a more empathetic attitude towards women’s problems.




Actress Sarwat Gilani feeding a horse during filming of the new TV series 'Churails' in Karachi in 2019. (Photo courtesy: Zee5 Global)

The ten-episode 'Churails', which is the Urdu word for witches, releases on Tuesday on the Zee5 app. It stars top actresses Sarwat Gilani, Yasra Rizvi, Nimra Bucha and Mehr Bano as four women who start a detective agency to expose cheating husbands behind the facade of a burqa boutique.
“After watching it, even on a marginal rate, [if] they [men] become empathetic towards what a woman goes through and understands them better, I think my job is done,” London-based Asim Abbasi said in an interview with Arab News. 




Director Asim Abbasi seen behind the scenes of the TV series 'Churails' in Karachi in 2019. (Photo courtesy: Zee5 Global)

Abbasi said he had titled the series Churail to subvert the meaning of a word that has long been used to label women 'negatively'. In his show, Churail is a woman who opposes oppression and is liberated emotionally, physically and sexually, he said. 
“I have put forward the issue of the status of a woman in a patriarchal society without giving moral judgement on it,” he said. “Churails is not just about how a woman should stand up for her rights but also how she is downplayed in our society through acts of child marriages, domestic violence, abusive attitude, and judgement on her physical appearances.”




Actress Sarwat Gilani during filming of the new TV series 'Churails' in Karachi in 2019. (Photo courtesy: Zee5 Global)

“Mainstream media all over the world generally portrays a woman in a very suppressive and deprived state, who needs a man as her savior and a guiding force,” said leading lady Gilani, who plays the role of family woman Sarah who finds out her husband is cheating on her, which leads her to meeting the three other women with whom she sets up the detective agency. 
“But in Churails all these women uplifting and supporting each other in fighting their battle," she added. 




Sarwat Gilani poses during a cut scene of the new TV seres 'Churails' shot in Karachi in 2019. (Photo courtesy: Zee5 Global)

Yasra Rizvi, who portrays the role of event planner Jugnu Chaudhry, said her character was “breaking all the stereotypical portrayals of women in our media.”
Mehar Bano, who portrays Zubaida, a young girl from a poor family who wants to be a boxer, said she took boxing training to play the role. In the play, her father beats her after he learns that she wants to box. 
“At that point, the Churails squad rescued her and then inspired by their mission, she also became their part,” Bano said.
Nimra Bucha, who plays a self-determined woman from a middle class background, described her character as such: “Batool has had enough to bear from men and the society and now leads her own life on her terms and conditions.”


Pakistan draws five potential buyers for national air carrier

Updated 5 sec ago
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Pakistan draws five potential buyers for national air carrier

  • The interested parties include business groups and a military-backed firm
  • The sale is seen as a test of Pakistan’s ability to shed loss-making state firms

ISLAMABAD: In its efforts to sell its struggling national airline, Pakistan has received expressions of interest from five parties, including business groups and a military-backed firm, the Privatization Ministry said on Thursday.
The bids were submitted ahead of a June 19 deadline to acquire up to 100 percent of Pakistan International Airlines, which has accumulated over $2.5 billion in losses in roughly a decade.
Still, following a major restructuring, it posted its first operating profit in 21 years in the year through June 2024.
The sale is seen as a test of Pakistan’s ability to shed loss-making state firms and meet conditions of a $7 billion International Monetary Fund bailout. It would be the country’s first major privatization in nearly two decades.
Eight parties submitted their expressions of interest, but only five of them provided documents of qualification, the ministry said in a statement.


Pakistan calls for Israel’s accountability for Iran war after army chief’s meeting with US president

Updated 12 min 16 sec ago
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Pakistan calls for Israel’s accountability for Iran war after army chief’s meeting with US president

  • The foreign office condemns Tel Aviv’s ‘unjustified and illegitimate aggression’ during weekly foreign office briefing
  • It says Islamabad has always advocated for diplomatic solutions, will support meaningful efforts toward de-escalation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office on Thursday called on the international community to end Israel’s ongoing war against Iran, condemning Tel Aviv for launching an “unjustified and illegitimate” attack and demanding its accountability.
The statement came hours after Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, attended a luncheon at the White House hosted by US President Donald Trump, a rare engagement that lasted longer than scheduled.
Trump, who has publicly backed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and stated Iran will not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, confirmed that the Israel-Iran conflict was discussed during his meeting with Munir.
While he did not share further details, Pakistan has maintained its longstanding position that Israel’s war with Iran threatens to destabilize the region.
“Pakistan strongly condemns unjustified and illegitimate aggression by Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” foreign office spokesperson Ambassador Shafqat Ali Khan said at the outset of his weekly press briefing.
“Pakistan stands in resolute solidarity with the people of Iran and unequivocally denounces these blatant provocations, which constitute a grave danger and a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the entire region and beyond, with serious implications,” he added. “The international community and the United Nations bear the responsibility to uphold international law, stop this aggression immediately and hold the aggressor accountable for its actions.”
Khan pointed to a joint statement released earlier this week by 20 countries, including Pakistan, calling for an immediate halt to hostilities in the Middle East and urging de-escalation.
The statement underscored the urgent need to establish “a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction,” applying to all states in the region without exception.
It further called on all Middle Eastern countries to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Asked whether the United States sought any “special favor” from Pakistan during the army chief’s meeting with Trump, Khan said both nations share “strong and multifaceted relations” with “a full agenda of interaction and cooperation.”
“So, I don’t know how to characterize or define a special favor,” he remarked.
The spokesperson reiterated that Pakistan has consistently advocated for diplomatic solutions to international conflicts and would support any meaningful initiative in that direction.


Locals in Pakistan’s Hunza Valley call for action against hotels ‘polluting’ Attabad Lake

Updated 19 June 2025
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Locals in Pakistan’s Hunza Valley call for action against hotels ‘polluting’ Attabad Lake

  • After a foreign vlogger’s video went viral, officials sealed part of Luxus Hunza Attabad Lake Resort, imposed $5,300 fine
  • Resort denies allegations of dumping sewage into the lake, says such actions “would be like desecrating our own house”

KHAPLU, Gilgit-Baltistan: Local social activists in Pakistan’s northern Hunza Valley are demanding strict action against hotels operating around Attabad Lake for failing to meet environmental standards, after a video by a foreign vlogger alleging untreated sewage discharge into the lake went viral on social media this week.

Attabad Lake was formed in 2010 when a massive landslide blocked the Hunza River, killing 20 people and submerging villages and a stretch of the strategic Karakoram Highway that links Pakistan to China. Over the years, the lake has become a major tourist attraction, driving a boom in hotel construction along its banks.

Following the viral video by travel vlogger George Buckley, officials from the Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Agency (GBEPA) and local administration inspected the hotel’s premises and sewage facilities on Tuesday.

“We have fined Rs 1.5 million ($5,300) on [Luxus Hunza Attabad Lake Resort] hotel after the inspection,” Khadim Hussain, a director at the EPA, confirmed to Arab News.

“A portion of the resort has been sealed for the period of three months. And if they don’t develop a waste treatment plan within the stipulated period of time, the [whole] facility will be sealed and imposed more fines.”

He added: “The action against the hotels that are not complying [with] environmental standards continues in the region before the video of a foreign vlogger.”

Residents say pollution caused by unchecked hotel expansion is now threatening Attabad Lake’s clear blue water, which draws thousands of tourists every year.

“Solid waste is becoming a big issue in the surrounding areas of Attabad Lake and especially on river banks due to the construction of hotels,” Shahid Hussain, a local social activist and politician, told Arab News by phone.

“When the level of the water [in the lake] increases during summer, the level of sewage waste in soakage pits also rises and merges into the lake. This is deteriorating the natural beauty of Attabad Lake.”

He stressed:

“The environmental protection authority has fined one hotel. And this is not a permanent solution. The administration and EPA should give a proper mechanism to protect nature and clean water.”

Another activist, Zahoor Ilahi, echoed the call for tougher enforcement.

“Initially, when locals started to build miniature resorts and hotels, the municipal and district administration teased the locals in the name of NOC [No Objection Certificate],” he said.

“Later big investors came to the region and built big hotels, and there is no treatment plant for sewage waste. If the [Luxus] hotel has no treatment plan, then the whole resort should be sealed instead of imposing a fine on them.”

Ilahi warned that untreated wastewater could also threaten local drinking water projects:

“A project is underway to supply drinking water from Attabad Lake for central Hunza under a federal PSDP project. So, the protection of clean water is very much needed. If the government fails to protect the clean water, it will multiply the miseries of locals.”

In a Facebook post, the Luxus Resort rejected the allegations.

“Attabad Lake formed in 2010. Before Luxus Hunza opened its doors to tourists in 2019, no one had experienced this majestic lake up close. This lake has been home for us for the last six years. It is the reason and purpose of our existence. To dump sewage water into the lake would be like desecrating our own house. We have never nor will we ever dump a single liter of waste water into Attabad Lake,” the hotel management said.

It added that the cloudy appearance of the lake near the hotel was due to natural sediment from mountain streams mixing with the clear lake water, not sewage discharge.

Arab News attempted to contact a representative of Luxus Hotel Hunza for further comment but did not receive a response by the time of filing this report.
 


Pakistan’s second Congo virus death for 2025 confirmed in Karachi

Updated 19 June 2025
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Pakistan’s second Congo virus death for 2025 confirmed in Karachi

  • 25-year-old fisherman butchered animals for two days during Eid Al-Adha, developed fever, muscle pain and bleeding complications
  • 42-year-old man from Karachi’s Malir district died on June 17, marking Pakistan’s first confirmed fatality from tick-borne virus in 2025

KARACHI: A 25-year-old fisherman has died from Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Karachi, health authorities confirmed on Thursday, marking Pakistan’s second fatality from the tick-borne virus this year.

The patient, Mohammad Zubair, a resident of Qur’angi Creek in Bin Qasim Town, butchered animals for two days during Eid Al-Adha earlier this month and developed high-grade fever, muscle pain and bleeding complications days later, according to a report by the District Health Officer (DHO) Malir.

“Active search of case was done surrounding that area, no any other case was found,” the official notification said, adding that Zubair’s family members were stable and showing no symptoms of the disease.

This comes just days after a 42-year-old man, also from Karachi’s Malir district, died of CCHF on June 17. According to the Sindh Health Department, his test report came back positive a day earlier, making him the province’s first confirmed fatality from the virus this year.

The Congo virus, which has a fatality rate ranging between 10 to 40 percent depending on timely treatment and the patient’s condition, is endemic in parts of Africa, Europe and Asia. In Pakistan, infections often spike around Eid Al-Adha, when millions of animals are bought, transported and slaughtered, increasing human exposure to infected ticks and animal blood.

Local health teams have carried out community awareness sessions in Karachi’s affected areas and advised residents to use protective clothing and follow hygiene measures when handling livestock.

There is currently no approved vaccine for the Congo virus, though experimental trials are underway in Europe.

Pakistan reported its first case of CCHF in 1976 and continues to see sporadic outbreaks, particularly in rural areas and provinces like Balochistan, which recorded 23 cases and five deaths last year.


Three Pakistani schools among Top 10 finalists for World’s Best School Prizes 2025

Updated 19 June 2025
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Three Pakistani schools among Top 10 finalists for World’s Best School Prizes 2025

  • Finalists are Sanjan Nagar Public Education Trust School, Nordic International School, Beaconhouse College Program Juniper Campus
  • The winners and finalists of the global schools prizes will be invited to the World Schools Summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on November 15–16

ISLAMABAD: Three Pakistani schools have this week been named among the Top 10 finalists for the World’s Best School Prizes 2025, prestigious global awards founded by T4 Education to spotlight exceptional schools transforming education and communities.

T4 Education is a global digital platform and community founded to empower teachers and schools to share best practices and drive positive change in education worldwide. It launched the World’s Best School Prizes to spotlight schools making an exceptional impact beyond the classroom.

Winners of the five World’s Best School Prizes — for Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives — will be announced in October following evaluation by an expert Judging Academy and a global public vote. Finalists and winners will share their insights at the World Schools Summit in Abu Dhabi in November.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif commended the management, teachers and students of the three Pakistani schools: the Sanjan Nagar Public Education Trust Higher Secondary School and Nordic International School, both in Lahore, and the Beaconhouse College Program Juniper Campus in Quetta.

“These schools have made a name for themselves in terms of modern curriculum, research, technology, environment, development of backward and rural areas,” Sharif said in a statement released by his office.

“These educational institutions have made the country’s name known all over the world.”

Sanjan Nagar Public Education Trust Higher Secondary School in Lahore has been shortlisted for the World’s Best School Prize for Overcoming Adversity. The charity school, which began in an abandoned factory, now educates nearly 800 students from marginalized backgrounds through the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Program. It is the first in Pakistan to offer this curriculum to underserved communities, empowering students with critical 21st-century skills and bridging socio-economic divides.

Beaconhouse College Program, Juniper Campus, Quetta, is a finalist for the Community Collaboration prize for its “Science Gaari” initiative — a student-led mobile science lab bringing hands-on STEM education to remote schools in Balochistan, one of Pakistan’s most underserved provinces. The project has reached over 150 schools, boosting science engagement and inspiring rural students to pursue careers in technology and research.

Nordic International School Lahore has also been named a finalist for Community Collaboration. The independent school emphasizes strong parental involvement and a culture of kindness to foster a supportive learning environment. Parents are engaged throughout students’ academic journeys via an interactive app, regular workshops, and celebrations of learning milestones.

“It is in schools like Sanjan Nagar, BCP Juniper Campus Quetta, and Nordic International School Lahore where we find the innovations and expertise that give us hope for a better future,” T4 Education Founder Vikas Pota said.