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Pakistani artists who made it big beyond borders in 2022

(L-R) The collage of images show singers Ali Sethi and Shae Gill, actor Sajal Aly, singer Arooj Aftab, actor Fawad Khan, Humayun Saeed and Mehwish Hayat. (AFP/Social media)
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Updated 23 December 2022
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Pakistani artists who made it big beyond borders in 2022

  • Acting powerhouses Humayun Saeed, Fawad Khan and Mehwish Hayat starred in globally acclaimed TV series
  • Shae Gill’s ‘Pasoori’ with Ali Sethi won her fans across South Asia, most notably in the neighboring state of India
Updated 23 December 2022
BURAQ SHABBIR

KARACHI: Pakistani actors and musicians know how to produce art that manages to impress audiences worldwide. In this regard, 2022 proved to be a special year for the likes of acting powerhouses Humayun Saeed, Fawad Khan, Sajal Aly and Mehwish Hayat while singers Arooj Aftab, Shae Gill and Ali Sethi also received nods from around the world for their stellar musical numbers.

Here are some Pakistani celebrities whose work was widely admired beyond borders in the outgoing year.

Sajal Aly




Sajal Aly attends the "What's Love Got To Do With It?" Premiere during the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on September 10, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario. (AFP)

Aly made her debut this year at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2022 after her film “What’s Love got to do with it” had its world premiere there. Speaking to Arab News, Aly said she was “humbled” for getting the opportunity to “represent Pakistan on the world stage.”

The film was penned by Jemima Goldsmith and directed by Shekhar Kapur.

“I feel honored to share the screen with such great actors,” she said. “Jemima [Goldsmith] is one of the coolest producers I’ve worked with. She’s a sweetheart! I feel extremely lucky and grateful at the same time.”

Aly also attended the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last month. Her co-stars from the film were also present at the event.

In November this year, Aly won big at the Filmfare Middle East Achievers Night when she bagged the “Most Popular Face of Pakistani Cinema” award.

Humayun Saeed




Humayun Saeed poses for the shutterbugs at the premiere of Season 5 of "The Crown"  in London, UK, on November 8, 2022. (Photo courtesy: @saeedhumayun/instagram)


Humayun Saeed has won praise from around the world since international viewers got to see his stellar acting talent in Netflix’s “The Crown” series on November 9, 2022. The series follows the lives of the British Royal Family and its newest season is set in the 1990s and focuses on Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s failing marriage.

Saeed played the role of Dr. Hasnat Ahmed Khan, a British-Pakistani lung and heart surgeon, who got romantically involved with the princess between 1995 and 1997.

Saeed attended the premiere of the newest season of the series in London on November 8, 2022, with his co-stars and the show’s crew.

“Feel privileged and honored to be a part of The Crown’s team,” the Pakistani actor said in an Instagram post.

Saeed also picked up the “Trendsetter of Pakistani Cinema” award at the Filmfare Middle East Achievers Night last month.

Arooj Aftab




Arooj Aftab raises the winning trophy for Best Global Music Performance for her track "Mohabbat" at the 64th Grammy Awards in Las Vegas, US, on April 4, 2022. (Photo courtesy: @aroojaftab/instagram)

Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab earned an impressive second nomination for Best Global Music Performance for the Grammy Awards 2023 after winning the title for her critically acclaimed track “Mohabbat” from her third album Vulture Prince in 2022.

Born in Saudi Arabia, Aftab is the first Pakistani artist to win a Grammy Award and be a three-time Grammy nominee.

“I think I’m [going to] faint. Wow, thank you so much. I feel like this category in itself has been so insane like Burna Boy, Wizkid, Femi Kuti, Angélique Kidjo... should this be called the yacht party category,” Aftab said onstage after receiving the award at the 64th Grammy Awards earlier this year.

“Mohabbat” – or “Love” in English – has been a game-changer for Aftab for which she also got a nomination for the Best New Artist award at the 64th Grammy Awards. The eight-minute-long song made it to former US President Barack Obama’s 2021 summer playlist that he shared on Twitter.

Mehwish Hayat




Mehwish Hayat as Kamala Khan's great-grandmother Aisha in a still from episode 5 of the Disney series, "Ms Marvel." (Photo courtesy: @msmarvelofficial/Instagram)

One of Pakistan’s most bankable film actors, Mehwish Hayat, made her Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut with the Disney series “Ms. Marvel” this year. Hayat, who depicted the fictional character of Aisha, won a legion of fans worldwide after her appearance in the show’s fifth episode.

In the six-episode series, she stars as the great-grandmother of the titular character, Kamala Khan, the first Pakistani to essay a Marvel superhero in the MCU.
“I still cannot believe that I was a part of ‘Ms. Marvel’ and the love people all around the world have given to Aisha,” Hayat told Arab News.

“More important for me though was being part of a mainstream project that finally represented Pakistan and Pakistani culture as we truly are,” she added.
“It means a lot to my niece to finally have a superhero who looks like her and she can relate to,” Hayat added. “Oh yes, I am the first Pakistani actress to have a Funko-Pop action figure which is so cool.”

Ms. Marvel had a special screening in cinemas across Pakistan, with a combination of two episodes that released every two weeks.

Fawad Khan




Fawad Khan as Kamala Khan's great grandfather Hasan in a still from episode 5 of the Disney Series "Ms Marvel." (Photo courtesy: @msmarvelofficial/instagram)

Fawad Khan fans, both in Pakistan and India, were overjoyed with the actor’s appearance in episode five of Ms. Marvel earlier this year. He played the central character Kamala Khan’s great-grandfather, Hasan, and appears in the flashback montage in the Disney series.

Khan has had a huge fan following beyond Pakistan, especially in India, since he made his Bollywood debut with the Sonam Kapoor-starrer “Khoobsurat” in 2014. With his recently released reboot of the 1979 cult classic at home, “The Legend of Maula Jatt,” Khan has penetrated screens all over the world.
The film was released in cinemas across the globe on October 13, 2022, and has crossed the record-breaking figure of Rs200 crores ($8.8 million) worldwide.

Shae Gill




Shae Gill performs ‘Pasoori’ at the first Coke Studio Live Concert at the Coca Cola Arena in Dubai, UAE, on October 14, 2022. (Photo courtesy: Coke Studio)

Shae Gill’s Coke Studio Season 14 hit “Pasoori” became the most streamed Pakistani song of 2022 on Spotify. The song tops the Google 2022 search trend, ranking at number one in the Hum-To-Search category. It has reached up to 470 million views on YouTube to date.

“When ‘Pasoori’ was in the works, I knew I was a part of something exceptional, but watching the end product had me staring in disbelief,” Gill posted on her Instagram after the song was released in February 2022.

Gill performed “Pasoori” at the first Coke Studio Live Concert on October 14, 2022, at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai where it received a massive response and attracted a lot of engagement from attendees. Earlier in 2022, Gill also performed the song at the FIFA Trophy Tour in June.

Ali Sethi




Ali Sethi attends TIME100 Next Gala at SECOND Floor in New York City, US, on October 25, 2022. (AFP)

Making waves with “Pasoori” all over the world, Ali Sethi made it to TIME’s 2022 TIME100 Next, which recognizes 100 rising stars from around the world.
“Proud to be included in the 2022 TIME100 Next list — that too with a write-up from guru Amitav Ghosh,” Sethi posted on his Instagram on September 28, 2022.

“Though written in Punjabi by a Pakistani artist, Ali Sethi’s song ‘Pasoori’ has become a global sensation with close to 400 million views on YouTube (by September 28, 2022),” award-winning writer Ghosh said.

“Even more remarkable, the song has found a huge following in neighboring India despite the escalating tensions between the two countries,” he added.
Sethi took Dubai by storm performing ‘Pasoori’ at the first Coke Studio Live Concert on October 14, 2022. The internationally acclaimed artist is all set for a North American Music Tour in 2023.

Topics: Year end New year 2023

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Pakistan, UAE sign agreements in customs, rail, airport infrastructure, maritime sectors

Updated 4 sec ago
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Pakistan, UAE sign agreements in customs, rail, airport infrastructure, maritime sectors

  • UAE minister of state for foreign trade calls on Pakistani PM Sharif
  • In May, Pakistan said UAE had committed $10 billion in investments
Updated 4 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the UAE on Friday signed four MoUs in the sectors of customs, rail and airport infrastructure, maritime shipping and logistics, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office in Islamabad said in a statement.
The MoUs were signed between the Pakistani ministries of maritime affairs, aviation and railways and the Federal Board of Revenue with the Abu Dhabi (AD) Ports Group.
“As per these MoUs, Pakistan and AD Ports Group would explore potential collaboration in customs, rail, airport infrastructure and maritime shipping and logistics sectors,” the PM’s office said after Sharif met a delegation of UAE investors led by Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE minister of state for foreign trade.
“These MoUs are aimed at improving digital customs controls, developing dedicated freight rail corridors, upgrading Pakistan’s maritime fleet and marine services, as well as Pakistan’s international airports.”
Sharif said the delegation’s visit demonstrated that the UAE government wanted to enhance its “investment footprint” in Pakistan and continue to play a “crucial role” in boosting Pakistan’s economy.
“The Prime Minister highlighted the comprehensive economic partnership between the two nations across sectors such as trade, energy, and investment, which has contributed to growth and prosperity in both countries.”
The UAE delegation’s visit to Pakistan comes as Islamabad is seeking to strengthen trade and investment ties with friendly nations. 
In May this, Pakistan said the UAE had committed $10 billion to invest in promising economic sectors in Pakistan.
Riyadh has also promised a $5 billion investment package that cash-strapped Pakistan desperately needs to shore up its dwindling foreign reserves and fight a chronic balance of payment crisis. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia also signed 34 MoUs worth $2.8 billion last month.

Topics: Abu Dhabi Ports Karachi port Pakistan UAE ties

UN rights body urges Pakistan to end military trials of civilians, release them on bail

Updated 58 min 24 sec ago
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UN rights body urges Pakistan to end military trials of civilians, release them on bail

  • The UN body asks the government to release all civilians detained under the jurisdiction of military courts
  • It expressed concern over ‘increasing trend of enforced disappearances,’ as well as torture, other rights issues
Updated 58 min 24 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Human Rights Committee on Thursday expressed concerns over Pakistan’s use of military courts to prosecute civilians, calling for immediate reforms to safeguard due process and fair trial standards in the country.
The committee, an expert body established under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, one of the core international human rights treaties, primarily monitors its implementation by member states.
Pakistan first expanded military courts’ jurisdiction in recent years to include civilians in terrorism-related cases and lifted its moratorium on the death penalty following the killings of over 100 school children in an attack in Peshawar carried out by militants in 2014.
It has also tried supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in these courts following the May 9, 2023, riots, in which people carrying PTI flags targeted government buildings and military installations after the ex-premier was briefly detained on corruption charges.
“The Committee remains concerned about the use of the Pakistan Army Act 1952 to prosecute civilians in military courts,” said the review document prepared by the UN body. “It is also concerned about reports that indicate a very high rate of convictions handed down by military courts and that those convicted have been sentenced to death in the majority of cases between 2015 and 2019.”
“It is further concerned that military courts lack independence and that civilians tried in military courts do not benefit from the same due process guarantees as those provided for in the civilian judicial system,” it added.
The UN body noted that Pakistan’s Supreme Court had declared the military trial of civilians unconstitutional and contrary to international human rights standards last year in October, though it added that the ruling was suspended, and expressed concern that civilians could remain under military court jurisdiction until the top court issues a final verdict.
“The State party should take prompt measures to review the legislation on military courts, abrogate their jurisdiction over civilians and their authority to impose the death penalty, and bring their proceedings into full conformity with articles 14 and 15 of the Covenant in order to ensure a fair trial,” the document said. “The State party should also release on bail all civilians detained under the jurisdiction of military courts.”
Additionally, the UN body raised broader human rights concerns in the country, noting “the increasing trend of enforced disappearances,” as well as torture and extrajudicial executions.
It particularly mentioned “arbitrary restrictions, in law and in practice, on freedom of expression online and offline, including the broad and alarmingly frequent use of Internet shutdowns,” pointing out that the overall environment in the country makes it difficult to exercise freedom of expression by journalists, activists and human rights defenders.
The UN rights body’s findings and recommendations are not legally binding on member states. However, they carry significant weight and can be used to inform advocacy efforts and to apply diplomatic pressure on countries to adhere to human rights obligations.

Topics: military trial Pakistan Army Pakistan Humanitarian Forum

Pakistan says operation launched in southwest against separatists behind August assault

Updated 08 November 2024
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Pakistan says operation launched in southwest against separatists behind August assault

  • Outlawed BLA claimed responsibility for string of coordinated attacks on Aug 25-26 in which over 50 people killed
  • Former separatist who recently surrendered to authorities addresses press conference but unclear if spoke freely
Updated 08 November 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched an armed operation in its southwestern Balochistan province against separatist militants who were behind multiple attacks in August in which more than 50 people, civilians and security officials, were killed, a senior counterterrorism officer said on Friday.
The outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army group claimed responsibility for the attacks, most of which occurred on the night of Aug. 25-26 and indicated that the BLA, which has targeted security forces for years in small-scale attacks and is allied with the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), is now much more organized.
Speaking to media on Friday, Counterterrorism Department DIG Aitzaz Ahmed Goraya said two militants had been arrested and three killed in an operation over the weekend in connection with investigations into the August attacks. The two arrested militants had provided, among other leads, information on how the attacks were planned and carried out, where the funding came from, who the local facilitators of the insurgents were and where their hideouts in the mountains of Balochistan were located, Goraya said. 
“Now as I speak to you, based on the information, an operation has been launched since the last two days in Duki, Loralai and surrounding districts in which Frontier Corps, CTD, Levies, police and others are taking part,” the CTD official told reporters. 
The press conference was also addressed by a Baloch man who identified himself as Talal Aziz and said he had surrendered to authorities after a brief stint as a separatist. 
He did not specify when he had turned himself in and it was unclear under what circumstances he addressed the press conference and whether he spoke freely or under pressure from state authorities in Balochistan, a resource-rich but impoverished province where separatist militants have been fighting a decades-long insurgency to win secession of the region. Insurgents say they are fighting what they see as the unfair exploitation of the province’s mineral and gas wealth by the federation at the center. 
The Pakistani government and military deny they are exploiting Balochistan and have long maintained that neighbors such as India, Afghanistan and Iran foment trouble in the remote province and support and fund the insurgency there. 
Pakistan’s largest province, Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan and is home to major China-led projects such as a strategic port and a gold and copper mine. 
Speaking to media, Aziz said he had studied in Quetta and Sibi before getting a scholarship to pursue higher education at the Punjab University in the eastern city of Lahore, where he met some students from Balochistan.
“They convinced me to take up arms for the independence of Balochistan,” Aziz said, saying that later, when he went back to Balochistan during university holidays, some friends pushed him to attend a protest by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) where he was introduced to some dissidents. 
The group says it is a human and ethnic rights movement established in response to alleged state human rights abuses in Balochistan but Pakistan’s government and army have repeatedly called it a “terrorist proxy.”
Aziz said after the BYC sit-in, he became convinced to join militants at their mountain hideouts where he claimed he met many other educated, young people like himself who had been similarly “brainwashed.” There, Aziz said he learnt that the purpose of the Baloch militants was to plot the killings of ethnic Punjabis in Balochistan, who they consider outsiders, and he soon realized that he did not want to be part of any such agenda. He then ran away and surrendered to the authorities.
“These terrorists only wanted to lead Baloch people astray and try to break up Pakistan,” Aziz concluded. 
The rise of separatist attacks in bBalochistan poses a major challenge for the weak coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which is battling an economic crisis and political instability as well as a rise in militant violence by both religiously motivated and separatist groups across the country. 
Balochistan is also currently in the grips of civil rights protests by young ethnic Baloch who are calling for an end to what they describe as a pattern of enforced disappearances and other human rights abuses by security forces, who deny the charge.

Topics: Balochistan Attacks Baloch Liberation Army (BLA)

Pakistan eyes $25 billion IT exports in three years, 5G rollout despite roadblocks 

Updated 08 November 2024
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Pakistan eyes $25 billion IT exports in three years, 5G rollout despite roadblocks 

  • Pakistan’s IT exports face significant challenges due to Internet connectivity issues stemming from firewall installations to regulate content
  • In August, the Pakistan Software Houses Association said the country’s economy could lose up to $300 million due to Internet disruptions
Updated 08 November 2024
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reaffirmed Pakistan’s ambitions to boost its information technology (IT) exports to $25 billion in the next three years and to roll out 5G Internet services, despite challenges from firewall installations.
The Pakistan prime minister expressed these plans during his meeting with a delegation of VEON, an Amsterdam-based multinational telecommunication and digital services company, led by its chairman Augie K. Fabela, to discuss his government’s efforts to “develop and promote” the telecommunications sector, according to Sharif’s office.
The South Asian country’s IT exports face significant challenges due to Internet connectivity issues stemming from firewall installations to regulate content and social media platforms that hinder the ability of local tech firms to communicate with international clients. This results in delayed deliveries, loss of business opportunities and a tarnished reputation for Pakistan’s IT industry, ultimately stifling growth and costing millions of rupees in losses.
In August, the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) said the country’s economy could lose up to $300 million due to Internet disruptions caused by the imposition of the firewall. However, State Minister for IT Shaza Khawaja repeatedly denied the use of firewalls by the government as a form of censorship.
“We are determined to achieve the target of increasing IT exports from Pakistan to 25 billion dollars in the next three years,” Sharif was quoted as saying by his office. “Steps are being taken to introduce 5G Internet services for faster and reliable Internet services in Pakistan.”
Sharif said the rollout of 5G services would make it possible for his government to achieve the vision of “Digital Pakistan.” He said the telecommunications sector would play an important role in promoting a cashless and digital economy, praising the work of a VEON subsidiary, Jazz Group, and expressing his government’s willingness to promote IT, digitization and artificial intelligence (AI) in Pakistan.
The visiting delegation appreciated the Pakistani government’s efforts to stabilize the economy and termed Pakistan an important country for investment in the IT sector, according to Sharif’s office.
Pakistan recorded $298 million in IT exports in June, up 33 percent from the year before. During the fiscal year that ended in June, Pakistan recorded overall IT exports of $3.2 billion, up 24 percent from $2.5 billion in the previous year.
The South Asian nation has lately encouraged its IT sector and facilitated collaborations with firms in several countries, including Saudi Arabia, China and Qatar, to boost its IT exports.
However, IT-related associations and businesses this year raised alarm over slowing Internet speeds as the federal government moved to implement the nationwide firewall to block malicious content, protect government networks from attacks, and allow authorities to identify addresses associated with what it calls “anti-state propaganda.”
In August, the Pakistan Business Council warned that frequent Internet disruptions and low speeds caused by poor implementation of the firewall had led many multinational companies to consider relocating their offices out of Pakistan, with some having “already done so.”

Pakistan’s Punjab province shuts public spaces in smog-hit cities

Updated 08 November 2024
AFP
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Pakistan’s Punjab province shuts public spaces in smog-hit cities

  • Access to parks, zoos, playgrounds, historic monuments, museums and recreational areas will be banned until Nov. 17
  • Punjab residents have been trapped in thick smog for over a week ever since the air quality index spiked above 1,000
Updated 08 November 2024
AFP

LAHORE: Pakistan’s most populated province of Punjab ordered public spaces closed in smog-hit main cities, authorities said Friday, as the country battles record air pollution.

Access to parks, zoos, playgrounds, historic monuments, museums and recreational areas will be banned until November 17 due to poor air quality, according to a local government directive seen by AFP.

The concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Lahore’s air was more than 20 times higher than the level deemed acceptable by the World Health Organization (WHO). In Multan, it was up to 48 times higher on Friday.

Punjab residents have been trapped in thick smog for over a week ever since the air quality index (AQI), which measures a range of pollutants, spiked above 1,000 — well above the level of 300 considered ‘dangerous’ — according to data from IQAir.

Schools in some of Punjab’s major cities were ordered shut on Tuesday until November 17.

The province extended that order on Wednesday to several more cities enveloped by smog, a mix of fog and pollutants caused by low-grade diesel fumes, smoke from seasonal agricultural burning and winter cooling.

The decision follows restrictions imposed last month on four “hot spots” in Lahore that banned tuk-tuks with polluting two-stroke engines, along with restaurants that operate barbecues without filters.

Seasonal crop burn-off by farmers on the outskirts of Lahore also contributes to toxic air, which the WHO says can cause strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases.

Excess pollution shortens the life expectancy of Lahore residents by an average of 7.5 years, according to the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute.

According to UNICEF, nearly 600 million children in South Asia are exposed to high levels of air pollution, which is also linked to half of childhood pneumonia deaths.

Topics: smog

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