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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

Pakistani non-profit calls 2024 elections ‘flawed,’ welcomes government-opposition dialogue

Updated 6 sec ago
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Pakistani non-profit calls 2024 elections ‘flawed,’ welcomes government-opposition dialogue

  • PILDAT sees coalition parties assisting the establishment for ‘short-term selfish political gains’
  • It says recent amendments reflect growing centralization of decision-making in the country
Updated 6 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A leading Pakistani non-profit on Tuesday said the 2024 general elections led to a “fracture of popular mandate” and intensified political instability in the country, though it also expressed optimism over the newly initiated negotiations between the government and opposition.

The Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), which focuses on democratic governance, released its end-of-year Quality of Democracy in Pakistan 2024 report a day earlier. The report provides an overview of the state of politics in Pakistan over the past year, marked by increasing polarization and systemic issues.

“The 12th General Election held in February 2024 after a considerable delay was a largely flawed exercise that served to fracture popular mandate and to provide citizens only with a modicum of political and electoral choice,” it said.

Pakistan’s national polls were marred by accusations of irregularities, including delayed results, amid claims by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party that its candidates faced significant obstacles in running their campaigns.

PTI candidates were also forced to contest as independents after the Supreme Court ruled its intra-party elections flawed, stripping it of its election symbol. Party leaders alleged the system was heavily rigged against them.

The subsequent election results did not leave any party positioned to form a government independently, leading to political negotiations that helped the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif build a coalition with a razor-thin majority.

“Pakistan’s leading political parties have continued to display a sad and familiar proclivity to assist the establishment against a political opponent of the time in return for short-term selfish political gains,” the report noted, using a popular euphemism for the country’s powerful military and adding that the current political set-up “is no different.”

It also highlighted controversial developments, including amendments restructuring the judiciary and extending the tenures of defense chiefs, which it described as evidence of growing centralization of decision-making influenced by the establishment.

The PILDAT report also addressed persistent social media blackouts in the country, describing them as a means of suppressing critical political voices.

“To manage and silence political dissent, the current set-up has stepped up efforts to manage the use of Internet and social media platforms by blocking certain applications and controlling the flow of communication through others,” it said.

However, the report welcomed the dialogue between the government and PTI, which formally began last month, calling it a potential path to political and economic stability.

“Against this bleak horizon, the improving economic stability and the stated willingness and initiation for political dialogue between the PTI and the government offer the only silver lining,” PILDAT noted.

“Despite grandstanding by the government and its backers and tough bargaining and threats of civil disobedience by the PTI, it is our belief that a comprehensive dialogue must be sustained to find politically negotiated solutions,” it added.

Topics: Pakistan Imran Khan PTI protest elections 2024

Pakistan PM vows to work for ‘economic self-reliance’ in 2025 amid security challenges

Updated 01 January 2025
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Pakistan PM vows to work for ‘economic self-reliance’ in 2025 amid security challenges

  • Shehbaz Sharif calls 2024 ‘a remarkable year of Pakistan’ in which it ‘marched from default to development’
  • He acknowledges the renewed threat of militant violence while praising the military’s efforts to counter it
Updated 01 January 2025
Fatimah Amjad

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday described 2024 as a year of economic recovery and expressed hope for self-reliance in the new year, while acknowledging persistent security challenges caused by a surge in militant violence.
Pakistan narrowly avoided a sovereign debt default in 2023 after securing short-term external financing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under a $3 billion bailout program.
The agreement required Islamabad to implement stringent economic reforms, including subsidy cuts and utility price hikes, to stabilize its fragile economy. While macroeconomic indicators have since improved, many Pakistanis continue to grapple with the lingering effects of years of financial turmoil and the burden of reforms.
The government also managed to secure another IMF loan of $7 billion last year in September, saying it was important to get the money to consolidate the economic gains.
“2024 was a remarkable year for Pakistan, as we marched from default to development, overcoming economic challenges with resilience and determination,” Sharif wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “We made difficult but necessary decisions that rescued our economy from collapse, restored macroeconomic stability, controlled fiscal deficits, and strengthened our reserves. As a result, inflation has come down to single digits, and the prospects for economic growth have been revived.”
“We step into 2025 with renewed determination to achieve economic self-reliance and chart a brighter, more prosperous future for our nation,” he added.
Sharif’s remarks also addressed the security situation, highlighting Pakistan’s armed forces’ efforts to counter a renewed wave of militant violence.
“Amidst other challenges, Pakistan also faced a renewed surge in terrorism this year,” he said, reaffirming the military’s commitment to ensuring peace.
He credited the nation’s unwavering support for its forces in their fight against militants who, he maintained, “stand in stark opposition to the very idea of Pakistan.”
The prime minister also highlighted the launch of “Uraan Pakistan,” or “Fly Pakistan,” which is a homegrown five-year, export-oriented economic transformation plan unveiled by his administration a day earlier, which he described as a result of his government’s vision to build on recent stability and achieve sustained growth.
 

Topics: New Year 2025 2025 Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif

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As 2025 dawns, Karachi family recalls a year of financial struggles in Pakistan’s economic storm

As 2025 dawns, Karachi family recalls a year of financial struggles in Pakistan’s economic storm

Updated 01 January 2025
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As 2025 dawns, Karachi family recalls a year of financial struggles in Pakistan’s economic storm

  • Effendis slashed monthly grocery budget, let go of domestic help in 2024 amid surging inflation, rising utility bills
  • The family hopes fuel and food prices stabilize in 2025, allowing them to resume family outings and vacation trips
Updated 01 January 2025
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: In a modest rented apartment in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar neighborhood, Ednan Effendi and his wife, Samreen, recall a time when annual family trips to northern Pakistan were a cherished tradition. Now, stagnant incomes, inflation and higher taxes have left the Effendis, like millions of other Pakistani families, struggling, as the country tries to recover from a prolonged economic crisis.
Pakistan’s inflation rate in November fell to 4.9 percent, a six-year low, with the finance ministry projecting December’s rate to hover around 4-5 percent. The central bank expects consumer prices to average below 13.5 percent this fiscal year, attributing the improvement to sound monetary policy, a stable currency and declining global commodity prices.
Yet, countless middle-class families like the Effendis— a key indicator of any country’s economic health— are reeling from rising fuel and food costs, along with increased taxes.
“Four years ago, we used to go on family trips to Pakistan’s northern areas annually,” Samreen Effendi, 45, told Arab News. “But now the budget doesn’t allow it.”
Last year in September, Pakistan secured a 37-month, $7 billion financial bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), committing to financial reforms such as raising taxes and utility prices. While aimed at long-term stabilization, these measures have deepened financial hardship for families like the Effendis, forcing difficult trade-offs.
“We have no choice but to live within our income,” said Effendi, a 53-year-old government officer and father of two. “In the same salary, we must pay children’s school fees, buy groceries and manage household expenses.”
Four years ago, the Effendis could afford items like ketchup, chocolate spread and cheese in their monthly groceries. Surging inflation has slashed their grocery budget from Rs30,000 [$107] to Rs15,000 [$53.68]. Now, their monthly shopping is limited to staples such as rice and lentils.
“Gone are the days when we could buy everything in bulk,” Samreen lamented.
She said that she once dreamed of providing her children with an education better than her own, though she has now been facing harsh realities.
“Even the fees for government colleges and universities have become so high they have gone beyond our budget,” she said. “What can we do? We are middle-class people.”
‘ENJOYING LIFE OUT OF THE QUESTION’
As living costs soared, Samreen let go of domestic help and now takes on all the household chores herself.
“We’ve let go of our maids. Now we sweep and mop the house ourselves, wash clothes ourselves,” she said. “A regular woman can do these tasks, but how can she also work a job alongside them?”
Millions of families in Karachi grapple with daily water and gas shortages, resorting to costly gas cylinders and private water tankers charging exorbitant rates.
Samreen says managing groceries, education bills and rising utility expenses has become nearly impossible.
“Going out and enjoying life is out of the question now. Even having two meals a day at home has become a blessing,” she added.
Despite the challenges, the Effendis hold on to hope as the new year approaches. Effendi longs for the day prices stabilize, allowing him to take his family on outings and fulfill his father’s modest wish of traveling to the scenic hill station of Murree by train.
“I could take my children and my wife for outings, seeing a smile on her face,” Effendi said. “I could take my father, who has been asking for a trip to Murree or a train ride for so long.”
“My biggest wish is for 2025 to be a great year for me and everyone else,” he added.

Topics: Pakistan Karachi 2025

Blasts in northwest Pakistan leave 2 dead, 13 wounded including policemen

Updated 01 January 2025
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Blasts in northwest Pakistan leave 2 dead, 13 wounded including policemen

  • First attack targeted a funeral in Azam Warsak, the other was directed against a police van in Bannu
  • Such incidents have surged in recent years, contributing to an atmosphere of heightened insecurity
Updated 01 January 2025
REHMAT MEHSUD

PESHAWAR: Two people were killed and at least 13 others, including several police personnel, were injured in two separate bomb blasts in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Tuesday, police said.
KP, which shares a long and porous border with Afghanistan, has experienced a surge in militant violence in recent years. The region has been targeted by deadly suicide bombings and attacks on both civilians and security forces, contributing to an atmosphere of heightened insecurity.
Police spokesperson in the province, Habib Islam, told Arab News the first explosion occurred in Azam Warsak, a town on the outskirts of Wana, the headquarters of South Waziristan district, as people dispersed from a funeral ceremony.
“The blast left two persons dead and eight others wounded. The explosion was triggered by a remote-controlled device, but it can’t be immediately confirmed who was the target of the attack,” he added.
Soon after the incident, a heavy police contingent rushed to the crime scene to evacuate the dead and wounded to the nearest medical facility.
Dr. Hammad Mehmood, a senior medical practitioner at the DHQ Hospital Wana, said the staff received a total of nine wounded, with two critically injured individuals referred to Dera Ismail Khan for treatment.
The second blast occurred in Bannu district, where a police mobile van was targeted with an improvised explosive device (IED), leaving five policemen injured, a senior police officer, Zahir Nawaz, told Arab News.
“Five policemen were injured in a blast triggered by a device planted in the Mamaskhel area of Bannu district,” he added.
Over 82 policemen have been killed in attacks, ambushes, and targeted killings in KP this year, according to official data.
Such attacks have been on the rise in northwestern Pakistan in recent months, with most being claimed by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants.
TTP fighters have targeted security forces’ convoys and check posts and carried out targeted killings, as well as kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials.
Earlier this month, two policemen were killed and three injured in an attack on a check post in the province’s Shangla district.
Pakistan has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting the TTP and other militant groups, urging the administration to prevent its territory from being used by armed factions to launch cross-border attacks.
The Afghan Taliban deny the charge, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter.
 

Topics: KP militancy Bannu Pakistan police

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Pakistan forecasts thunderstorms, heavy snowfall in northwest from January 1 to 6

Updated 01 January 2025
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Pakistan forecasts thunderstorms, heavy snowfall in northwest from January 1 to 6

  • KP’s top PDMA official has asked district administrations to take necessary precautionary measures
  • Pakistan has seen erratic weather patterns recently, with scientists attributing them to climate change
Updated 01 January 2025
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Weather authorities in Pakistan on Tuesday predicted thunderstorms and heavy snowfall in the upper districts of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province from January 1 to 6.

Pakistan has experienced erratic changes in its weather patterns in recent years, which scientists attribute to climate change. This year, the country recorded its “wettest April since 1961,” with 59.3 millimeters of rainfall, while some areas endured deadly heat waves in May and June.

KP’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) forecast rain and snowfall in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Malakand, Buner, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, Waziristan, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Bannu, Karak and Kohat.

“The forecast indicates that the rain and snowfall will continue from January 1 to 6,” the PDMA said in a statement, adding there was a likelihood of heavy snowfall on mountains from January 1 to 5.

The PDMA has notified all district administrations to undertake precautionary measures and ensure the availability of large and small machines to handle any emergencies.

The public has been advised to avoid power lines, decaying buildings, construction sites and billboards, while farmers have been urged to plan their activities accordingly.

DG PDMA Asfandyar Khattak directed the authorities to remain vigilant in case of any untoward incidents and advised tourists to contact relevant officials before traveling.

“Local administrations in sensitive districts should communicate weather-related messages in local languages to the community,” he added. “In case of any emergency, all relevant agencies should remain alert to restore road links and provide alternative routes for traffic in the event of road closures.”

Meanwhile, PDMA Balochistan said cloudy weather was expected in most districts, with light rain and snowfall likely in Chaman, Kalat, Zhob, Qilla Abdullah, Qilla Saifullah, Pishin, Ziarat and Quetta in the southwestern province.

In 2022, unusually heavy rains triggered floods in many parts of the country, killing over 1,700 people, inflicting economic losses of around $30 billion and affecting at least 30 million people.

Topics: Pakistan snowfall

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