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Pakistani social media’s greatest hits of 2020

A combination of photos of the celebrities whose memes went viral in the year 2020 in Pakistan.
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Updated 30 December 2020
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Pakistani social media’s greatest hits of 2020

  • Amid the doom and gloom of coronavirus, the Internet has provided Pakistanis some hilarity and positivity
  • Arab News compiles a list of 2020’s funniest and most positive memes and viral posts 
Updated 30 December 2020
Sabah Bano Malik

RAWALPINDI: The year 2020 will join the list of years that are so eventful they are regarded as pivotal in history: long remembered for when more than 1.7 million people globally died in a pandemic.
For Pakistan, too, 2020 was a difficult year, with almost 10,000 people dead and over 475,000 inflicted with the virus.
But among the doom and gloom, the Internet has provided Pakistanis some hilarity and positivity in this difficult time. Below are some of the greatest viral moments of 2020:
That sounds ‘grape’:
In a 10-year-old video that has recently gone viral, the assembly at a school for Pakistani expatriate children in Jeddah is presided over by Sehar Kamran (who would later go on to become a senator in Pakistan). She asks the kids what they would like to do when they grow up. To many of the children’s responses — pilot, soldier, etc. -, Kamran says what sounds like “grape” instead of “great.” The word grape has since entered the cultural lexicon, with people even putting it on birthdays cakes (“24? That’s grape!”), according to Dawn writer Haseeb Asif. Here is a thread of the hilarious clips:

Maria B’s ‘The Scream:’
Veteran fashion designer Maria B found herself at the center of major controversy in the early days of the pandemic when she put out a video calling for support after she and her husband were questioned by authorities, and her husband was taken into custody, for sending a member of their domestic staff home on public transport after he tested positive for COVID-19 — in complete violation of guidelines. The designer’s video, with its lavish backdrop complete with a massive chandelier, was relentlessly mocked on social media for its sense of entitlement and brazen display of elite privilege, and a freeze-frame from the clip has since become a go-to reaction shot by Pakistani social media users. For example:
“My friends when i tell them i’m in love again,” one Twitter user wrote, posting the shot:

Ahmer Naqvi, sports and culture writer, said: “All the active bacteria and virus in my food when I say bismillah before taking a bite.”


Others put Maria B’s distressed image from the video on Edvard Munch’s famous painting “The Scream:

Pakistani Twitter vs. Ishaq Dar:
Former finance minister Ishaq Dar’s interview on BBC HARDtalk went viral, with Twitterati making memes of Dar’s panicked face over being asked tough questions about his assets by host Stephen Sackur.
“When you have out of syllabus questions in exams,” one user said, posting a shot of Dar from the interview:

Another user posted:

Civil war in Karachi:
Hilarity ensued on Pakistan social media in October after misinformation was widely circulated on Indian mainstream and social media claiming a civil war had broken out in the Pakistani city of Karachi. 
Pakistanis turned to the Internet to debunk the rumors and to poke fun at media and social media users in India, a bitter rival and neighbor with whom Pakistan has fought three wars.
One user posted a funny photo and joked that citizens had now joined the civil war and were fighting the Pakistan army:

Other users described life under civil war:
“During the civil war in Karachi today I managed to get in a full day of work, got groceries, went to the gym, went to studio, went to see my girlfriend,” Faisal Rafi wrote. “The civil war was pretty chilled I must say.”

Singer and actor Fakhr-e-Alam tweeted: “Karachi civil war has gotten so bad that my food panda delivery boy had to crawl through mine fields carrying his AK47, RPG & 9mm along with my nihari and Biryani. This thing is getting so serious.”

‘No fear’ Asif Magsi:
Pakistani TikTok user and long jumper Asif Magsi’s videos showing him jumping over motorcycles and lakes went viral on social media in August, prompting the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) to invite him for training.
When he started out, Magsi told Arab News in an interview, he could jump over five motorcycles parked in a row but can now cross eleven, as seen in a viral video of him shared on various social media platforms. He said he was unaware of long jump records but could cross nearly 25 feet or 7.6 meters. The world record for the long jump is 8.95 meters while the Asian record is 8.33 meters.
“I was not expecting my video made almost a week ago will get so much attention,” Magsi said, adding that he wanted to represent Pakistan at international games. “Now everyone in my family and people in the area are happy.”
Nine-times Olympic gold medallist Carl Lewis took to twitter to appreciate Magsi, saying “with his lack of fear, he has the perfect mindset.”


The 19 in COVID-19:
Pakistani social media users took to Twitter and Facebook in June to poke fun at a bizarre definition of COVID-19 offered by the country’s minister for climate change Zartaj Gul who said the virus was called COVID-1 because it “has 19 points and it is a type of flu that can affect a country in one of the 19 ways … Its severity depends upon the immunity level of people in the country concerned.”
“F-16 is 16-seater,” one Twitter user posted in response:

Another said: “20 players play T20, that’s why it is called T20.”

Teacher encourages students to post questions to NASA, scientists reply:
When Pakistani teacher Aimun Faisal posted her students’ questions to NASA on Twitter in October, never did she imagine scientists and astronauts would respond — and her post would go viral.
The fourth-grade teacher at Karachi’s Cornerstones School asked her students to write down questions about the solar system, of which six selected questions and the names and photos of the students who had asked them were posted by Faisal on Twitter.
“These fourth graders have some questions for you,” said the post, in which NASA astronauts and other scientists were tagged. The tweet went viral.


To Faisal’s surprise and joy, astronauts and scientists replied.
Astronaut Chris Hadfield said to a student called Rayyan who had asked if he ever felt “scared” his space ship would get lost in space: 
“Rayyan — I wasn’t scared we’d get lost. We had the Earth nearby, and used the stars to steer. I felt especially comforted when I flew over home. Here’s a photo I took of Karachi — can you find your school?”

To Haniyah, who asked if it was true that it rained diamonds on Jupiter, Emily Calandrelli, an American science communicator and the host of Xploration Outer Space and Emily’s Wonder Lab, wrote:
“Haniyah -It’s definitely possible!! The same physics and chemistry that creates diamonds here on Earth (putting Carbon under super high heat/pressure) exists on planets like Jupiter, so some scientists hypothesize that it’s raining diamonds there! Wouldn’t it be fun to see that?!”

Topics: Pakistan 2020 Review

OIC’s COMSTECH eyes enhanced academic collaboration between Pakistan, Bangladesh

Updated 7 sec ago
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OIC’s COMSTECH eyes enhanced academic collaboration between Pakistan, Bangladesh

  • COMSTECH to organize visit by Bangladeshi delegation of universities to Pakistan from June 16-21
  • Visit to explore partnerships in higher education, science and technology, says COMSTECH
Updated 7 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) is organizing an upcoming visit by a high-level delegation of Bangladeshi universities to Pakistan next week, the global body said this week, as it aims to enhance academic collaboration between the two countries.

The 10-member delegation will comprise vice-chancellors and senior officials from leading public and private sector universities of Bangladesh, COMSTECH said in a statement on Friday. The delegation is set to visit Pakistan from June 16 to 21.

The visit is being organized at COMSTECH’s invitation and is being facilitated by the Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad, it said.

“The primary objective of the visit is to explore and enhance avenues of academic collaboration and institutional partnerships in the fields of higher education, science, and technology,” COMSTECH said in a press release.

“The delegation will participate in a series of high-level meetings, discussions, and interactive sessions with top Pakistani universities in Lahore and Islamabad.”

It said that these Pakistani institutions are members of COMSTECH’s Consortium of Excellence (CCoE), a collaborative network of premier universities dedicated to advancing scientific cooperation and educational excellence among OIC member states.

“This initiative reflects COMSTECH’s continued commitment to fostering inter-university cooperation and strengthening academic ties across the Muslim world, particularly between Bangladesh and Pakistan,” the statement concluded.

Ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh have improved recently. Once one nation, Bangladesh split from Pakistan after a brutal 1971 war with Dhaka drawing closer to Islamabad’s arch-rival New Delhi over the years.

However, long-time Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in August 2024 after her government was overthrown by a student-led protest. She fled via helicopter to India, with Dhaka attempting to extradite her.

Relations between India and Bangladesh’s interim government have been frosty since then, allowing Islamabad and Dhaka to rebuild ties slowly.

Topics: COMSTECH

Pakistan, EU discuss global security in fifth round of disarmament talks

Updated 10 min 4 sec ago
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Pakistan, EU discuss global security in fifth round of disarmament talks

  • Discussions focus on disarmament, non-proliferation of biological and chemical weapons, says Pakistani foreign office
  • Pakistan, European Union agree to hold sixth round of disarmament, non-proliferation talks in Brussels next year
Updated 10 min 4 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the European Union this week held the fifth round of non-proliferation and disarmament talks in Islamabad this week, where the two sides discussed enhanced cooperation and implications of emerging technologies on global and regional security, Pakistan’s foreign office said.

The talks between the two sides were held on June 12. The Pakistani delegation was led by Ambassador Tahir Andrabi, the additional foreign secretary for arms control, disarmament and international security. The EU delegation was headed by Ambassador Stephan Klement, the bloc’s special envoy for disarmament and non-proliferation.

The annual dialogue between both sides seeks to ensure global peace and regional stability through non-proliferation of weapons.

“Both sides engaged in a comprehensive exchange of views on issues related to international and regional peace, security, and strategic stability,” a statement from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said.

“Pakistan side briefed their EU interlocutors on developments in the wake of recent Pakistan-India conflict.”

India and Pakistan both engaged in the worst fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbors in decades last month before Washington brokered a truce on May 10. India accused Pakistan of deploying its nuclear-capable missile against it, a charge Islamabad denied.

The discussions also focused on various dimensions of disarmament and non-proliferation, with particular reference to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the statement said.

“In addition, the Dialogue reviewed recent trends in Multilateral Export Control Regimes (MECRs) and assessed the implications of Emerging Technologies on global security,” MoFA said. “The avenues for enhanced cooperation in the domain of Science Diplomacy were explored as well.”

The two sides agreed to hold the sixth round of the dialogue in Brussels in 2026.

The Pakistan–EU Dialogue on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament is a key part of the broader strategic engagement between Pakistan and the European Union, which has been institutionalized since 2012.

Pakistan says it attaches high importance to the dialogue, recognizing it as a vital platform for engagement on global and regional security, as well as on disarmament and non-proliferation issues.

Topics: Pakistan EU Ties

IMF-backed tariff reforms raise concerns for Pakistan’s auto industry despite rising car sales

Updated 42 min 10 sec ago
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IMF-backed tariff reforms raise concerns for Pakistan’s auto industry despite rising car sales

  • Government aims to cut overall tariffs by 4% over five years to promote export-led growth
  • Industry stakeholders warn removing regulatory duties could hurt local manufacturers
Updated 42 min 10 sec ago
Ismail Dilawar

KARACHI: While Pakistan’s automobile manufacturers are still parsing the government’s new financial plan, industry experts on Friday said proposed International Monetary Fund (IMF)-mandated reforms, such as the rationalization of trade tariffs, could erode long-standing protections for local industry.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said the government plans to reduce the overall tariff regime by more than four percent over the next five years to steer the country toward an export-led growth model in line with the IMF program.

Under the National Tariff Policy 2025-30, the government aims to abolish additional customs duties (ACDs), regulatory duties (RDs) and provisions under the Fifth Schedule of the Customs Act, 1969. The goal is to simplify Pakistan’s tariff structure by reducing it to four duty slabs ranging from 0 to 15%.

The IMF-backed reforms are expected to lower Pakistan’s weighted average tariff by 3.2% points to 7.4%, said Shafiq Ahmed Shaikh, an automobile industry expert and former general manager of Pak Suzuki Motor Company Ltd.

“These tariff cuts will reduce protection to the auto industry along with reduction of the cost of vehicles,” he said. “It is a very sensitive point for industry… [and] must be discussed with the stakeholders for good, long-term and acceptable solutions.”

PARA-TARIFFS

Abdul Waheed Khan, spokesperson for the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA), said regulatory duties are designed to protect local industry and discourage unnecessary imports.

“The ACD too should gradually be abolished because such para-tariffs are not good,” he told Arab News.

Para-tariffs are taxes and duties levied in addition to standard customs tariffs, such as ACDs and RDs. While often introduced to curb imports or raise revenues, they are controversial because they can create complexity, raise costs and distort trade policy.

Pakistan’s federal budget also proposes raising the sales tax on 850cc small vehicles to 18% to bring parity between petrol or diesel-powered cars and hybrids.

“This would increase the cost of vehicles for middle income groups,” said Khan of PAMA, which represents the local operations of Honda, Suzuki, Toyota and 16 other manufacturers.

“This is not good for our Made-in-Pakistan policy as small vehicles will go costlier at a time when people’s disposable incomes are already not so good,” he continued, declining further comment on the budget.

CARBON LEVY

Pakistan’s automobile market, long dominated by Japanese firms like Honda, Toyota and Suzuki, has recently seen new entrants, particularly Chinese and Korean electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers like BYD, SAIC and Kia, operating through joint ventures.

“The existing industry will face good competition from EV and as we know, the future is of Electric Vehicles specially from China,” Shaikh, the automobile industry expert, told Arab News.

As one of the countries most affected by climate change, Pakistan also plans to introduce a carbon levy of up to Rs10 ($0.04) per liter on petrol, diesel and furnace oil over the next two years.

The move is intended “to discourage excessive use of fossil fuels and provide financial resources for climate change and green energy programs,” Finance Minister Aurangzeb said in his budget speech earlier this week.

Shaikh dismissed suggestions that the levy would raise car prices, arguing that consumers would instead begin shifting to EVs.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also announced plans to impose differential taxes on the sale and import of vehicles based on engine size to promote the adoption of two- and three-wheeled EVs and reduce oil imports and pollution.

Syed Asif Ahmed, general manager of marketing at MG Motors, said the “industry is seeking clarity on recent budget.”

He noted that while the finance bill was silent on hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), social media was abuzz with reports that the government may raise the sales tax from eight % to 18 % next year.

“If true, this will jeopardize the huge investment done by almost all automakers on HEV,” Ahmed said.

The MG Motors executive also warned against reduced regulatory duties on used cars and commercial imports under schemes meant for returning expatriates.

“[The] used cars importers are abusing the gift, baggage and transfer of residence scheme for commercial trading,” Ahmed said.

CAR SALES

While stakeholders have voiced concerns over policy shifts, vehicle sales continue to show signs of recovery.

Passenger car sales rose 31% in May to 11,119 units, while cumulative sales from July to May in the outgoing fiscal year increased 32% year-on-year to 94,388 units, according to PAMA data.

“[The] growth is supported by a more stable macroeconomic environment, lower interest rates, easing inflation and improving consumer sentiment,” said Myesha Sohail, an analyst at Topline Securities Ltd., in a recent research note.

Sohail expects this momentum to continue into the next fiscal year, driven by lower interest rates and a pipeline of new models across combustion, hybrid and plug-in hybrid categories.

Topics: Pakistan IMF Talks Pakistan Budget 2025-26 islamabad police

Pakistan condemns Israel’s ‘blatant aggression’ against Iran, calls for dialogue to resolve crisis

Updated 14 June 2025
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Pakistan condemns Israel’s ‘blatant aggression’ against Iran, calls for dialogue to resolve crisis

  • Pakistan’s UN ambassador urges Security Council to deny Israel “free hand” in conflict with Iran
  • Middle East tensions soared on Friday after Iran fired dozens of missiles at Israel in retaliation
Updated 14 June 2025
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad this week criticized Israel for its “blatant aggression” against Iran at a UN Security Council meeting, calling on the international community to use dialogue and diplomatic engagement to resolve tensions in the Middle East.

Ahmad’s statement came on Friday as tensions in the Middle East soared after Iran fired dozens of missiles at Israel late Friday night, lighting up the skies above Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The strikes were in response to a large-scale Israeli attack on Tehran’s nuclear facilities and military leadership early Friday. Iran said 78 people were killed and over 320 injured in the Israeli strikes.

At a UN Security Council briefing meeting on the Iran-Israel tensions on Friday, Ahmed said Tel Aviv’s “blatant provocations” posed a serious threat to the region and beyond, reiterating Iran’s right to self-defense. He said Israel’s recent military operations in Gaza and repeated cross-border strikes in Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen demonstrate a consistent disregard for international norms.

“Such blatant aggression and contempt for international law has already had devastating consequences,” Ahmad said, pointing out that tens of thousands of people have been killed in Gaza due to Israel’s military operations since October 2023.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations Asim Iftikhar Ahmad speaks during a UN Security Council briefing on Iran, at the UN Headquarters in New York on June 13, 2025. (Photo courtesy: X/@PakistanUN_NY)

Israeli leaders say the Friday attack was necessary to head off an imminent threat that Iran would build nuclear bombs, though it remains unclear how close the country is to achieving that.

Iran maintains its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.

Ahmad said Israel’s actions risk eroding the trust of the negotiation process related to Iran’s nuclear program, which he said was crucial for the peaceful settlement of these issues.

“We call on all parties to fulfill their respective obligations and responsibilities and avoid escalation,” the Pakistani envoy said. “Even in these testing times, diplomatic engagement and dialogue must be prioritized.”

Ahmad reiterated that the UN Security Council bears the responsibility to maintain international peace and security, calling it to “hold the aggressor accountable for its actions.”

Israeli first responders arrive at a site hit by a missile fired from Iran, in Ramat Gan on the outskirts of Tel Aviv on June 13, 2025. (AFP)

“This Council must deny Israel the free hand, and the impunity with which it continues to operate in defiance of international law and international opinion,” he said.

Israel has long been determined to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, a concern laid bare on Thursday when the Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency for the first time in 20 years censured Iran over its refusal to work with its inspectors. Iran immediately announced it would establish a third enrichment site and install more advanced centrifuges.

Even so, there are multiple assessments on how many nuclear weapons Iran could conceivably build, should it choose to do so. Iran would need months to assemble, test and field any weapon, which it so far has said it has no desire to do. US intelligence agencies also assess Iran does not have a weapons program at this time.

Topics: Pakistan Iran Ties Pakistan at UN Israel-Iran conflict

Pakistan’s deputy PM speaks with Iranian official as Tehran launches retaliatory strikes on Israel

Updated 14 June 2025
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Pakistan’s deputy PM speaks with Iranian official as Tehran launches retaliatory strikes on Israel

  • Ishaq Dar expresses Pakistan’s support to Iran ‘for achieving peace and stability in the region’
  • Air raid sirens sounded across Israel Friday night as dozens of Iranian missiles struck the country
Updated 14 June 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with his Iranian counterpart on Friday as Tehran launched a retaliatory missile strike on Israel following deadly Israeli attacks on nuclear facilities and senior military commanders.

Air raid sirens sounded across Israel on Friday night as dozens of Iranian missiles struck the country in a dramatic escalation of tensions. Explosions were heard throughout Jerusalem and plumes of smoke were seen rising in Tel Aviv after apparent strikes. While no casualties were immediately reported, the Israeli military ordered residents nationwide into bomb shelters.

The latest attacks came after Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes across Iran, reportedly killing at least three top Iranian military officers and targeting nuclear facilities and ballistic missile sites. Israeli military officials said 200 fighter jets were involved in the operation, which struck more than 100 locations in what analysts described as the most significant assault Iran has faced since its war with Iraq in the 1980s.

The Pakistani deputy PM held a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, as the war escalated between the two Middle Eastern rivals.

“Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50, today spoke with the Foreign Minister of Iran, Seyed Abbas Araghchi @Araghchi,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.

Smoke billows after a projectile hit a building in Tel Aviv, Israel on June 14, 2025. (AP)

“Condemning the blatant Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran in total disregard of the UN Charter and international law, DPM/FM reiterated strong support of Pakistan to the Government and brotherly people of Iran for achieving peace and stability in the region,” it added.

Dar also conveyed “deepest sympathies on the loss of many precious lives during Israeli attacks,” according to the statement.

Earlier in the day, the Pakistani foreign office said Israel had violated Iran’s sovereignty and that the attacks were “contrary to the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law.”

It warned the escalation posed “a serious threat to regional peace and security,” adding that Iran had the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Dar, writing on X, described the Israeli strikes as a “brazen violation” of Iranian sovereignty and said they “gravely undermine regional stability and international security.”

“Pakistan stands in solidarity with the government and the people of Iran,” he wrote.

He also said the foreign ministry had established a 24/7 Crisis Management Unit to ensure the safety and security of Pakistani nationals and pilgrims in Iran.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed the condemnation and called on the international community and the United Nations to “take urgent steps to prevent any further escalation that could imperil regional and global peace.”

Israeli military spokesperson Defrin said all air defense systems had been activated in response to Iran’s retaliation and the country expected “difficult hours ahead.”

In Washington, the US administration said it had not been involved in the Israeli operation.

“Israel took unilateral action against Iran,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement released by the White House. “Our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.”

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry also condemned the Israeli strikes.

“The Kingdom condemns these heinous attacks and affirms that the international community and the Security Council bear a great responsibility to immediately halt this aggression,” the Saudi statement said.

Airlines cleared out of the airspace over Israel, Iran, Iraq and Jordan on Friday following the strikes, according to Flightradar24 data, as carriers scrambled to divert or cancel flights to ensure passenger and crew safety.

Iran closed its airspace and Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport was shut down until further notice.

Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said tens of thousands of soldiers had been called up and deployed across all borders.

“We are amidst a historic campaign unlike any other. This is a critical operation to prevent an existential threat, by an enemy who is intent on destroying us,” he said.

With inputs from AP and Reuters
 

Topics: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar Pakistan Iran Ties Israel attack on Iran

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