P&G Delegation Meets
President Arif Alvi

A delegation of senior executives, led by Adil Farhat, Chief Executive Officer, Procter & Gamble (P&G) Pakistan, met President Dr. Arif Alvi in Islamabad. In the meeting, the P&G delegation reaffirmed its commitment to Pakistan and pledged to continue serving the people of the country through its high quality products and brands.

President Alvi lauded P&G’s efforts and said the Government is working hard to make Pakistan an attractive destination for global business firms and multinational organizations.

P&G recently celebrated 30 years of its successful operations in the country. Since 1991, P&G Pakistan has been serving consumers with superior quality brands providing superior value and driving category growth. P&G has already brought valuable foreign direct investment into Pakistan by expanding its local manufacturing footprint.

‘Zindagi Tamasha’ to
Release in March 2022

The film ‘Zindagi Tamasha’, directed and co-produced by Sarmad and Kanwal Khoosat, will finally release in Pakistan on March 18, 2022.

Though the film has already won many international awards, its official release had been delayed amid controversy after the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) called for protests against its original release on January 24, 2020, alleging it was blasphemous and offensive to Muslim sentiments. The film was also slapped with a litany of censor issues.

‘Zindagi Tamasha’ was the first Pakistani film to win the prestigious Kim Ji-Seok Award at the Busan International Film Festival in 2019. The film won the Snow Leopard Award for Best Film at the 6th Asian World Film Festival (AWFF) in 2021.

Starring Arif Hassan, Eman Suleman, Samiya Mumtaz, and Ali Kureshi in the lead role, the film has also been Pakistan’s official film entry in the International Feature Film Award category for the 93rd Academy Awards in 2020.

English County Sussex Signs Mohammad Rizwan

Pakistan’s leading batter and wicket keeper Muhammad Rizwan is all set for his maiden stint in English county cricket with Sussex. English county made the announcement revealing that Rizwan will join Sussex following Australia’s tour of Pakistan in April 2022. He will then be available in both Championship and T20 cricket until the end of the Vitality Blast in mid-July.

In his Tweet, Rizwan said he is absolutely honoured and excited to be a part of the historic Sussex County Cricket Club for the 2022 season. On the other hand, Sussex’s wicket-keeping coach Sarah Taylor is looking forward to learning from him.

Asia News Network Has a New Chairman

Bangladeshi journalist Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of Bangladesh’s largest selling English daily – The Daily Star, has been elected the next Chairman of Asia News Network (ANN).

The 72-year-old journalist started his journalism career in 1972 and brings with him several decades of experience as a media and communication specialist to lead the regional alliance. The alliance is a grouping of 23 leading Asian news titles founded in 1999. After working in the United Nations for 14 years, he co-founded The Daily Star newspaper in 1991, as Bangladesh was transitioning to a democracy. His editorial direction and commentaries on the country’s socio-political issues saw the paper fast rising to be the most-read English daily in the country.

PCB Appoints New Chief Executive

After a robust recruitment process, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed Faisal Hasnain as the new Chief Executive who will take charge in January 2022.

Hasnain is a UK qualified Chartered Accountant and has had a professional career of over 35 years in high-profile finance and sports administration roles with some of the world’s leading blue-chip organisations. This includes his role in Monaco and Dubai as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and as the Managing Director of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC).

PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja was delighted to confirm the appointment and welcomed Hasnain to the Pakistan’s cricket family.

Story of Separation

Featuring Maya Ali and Wahaj Ali in the lead roles, ‘Jo Bichar Gaye’, a new drama serial, is currently on air on Geo Entertainment. Written by Ali Moeen and directed by Haissam Hussain,’ Jo Bichar Gaye’ is based on the novel written by Col. Z. I. Farrukh, featuring true events from the 1971 India-Pakistan War and the ensuing separation of East Pakistan.

The other cast includes Nadia Jameel, Adnan Jaffar, Sajid Shah, Fazal Hussain, Rana Majid, Aurangzaib Mirza, Omar Darr, Ahmed Abbas, Shireen Zahid, Usman Zia, Omar Cheema, Zaheer Taj, and Fahad Hashmi among others.

Fawad Khan to Star in Ms Marvel Series

The Khoobsurat actor Fawad Khan has finally confirmed that he will be part of the forthcoming Disney+ Hotstar series.

Disney-Marvel series features a Muslim teen lead character and a significant Asian cast. The six-part series features newcomer Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan in the lead character, a New Jersey-raised teenager who discovers that she has been God gifted with special powers. The character arc has her finding out who she is and learning about relationships.

The series will also see Pakistani veteran actress Samina Ahmed and Nimra Bucha in lead roles while the Oscar-winning Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is directing one episode of the series. The other three directors include Adil El Arbi, Billal Fallah and Meera Menon.

Pakistan’s Bodybuilders Shine at NBBUI

Pakistan grabbed gold and silver medals in the 38th NBBUI World Bodybuilding Championships 2021, held on the 27th and 28th of November in Valencia, Spain.

Representing Pakistan, Irfan Asghar and Abdul Majeed took spectators by storm with their brilliant performances and were awarded gold and silver medals at the championship.

The sportsmen also shared their gratitude by thanking IDEAS by GulAhmed for sponsoring their championship tour. The duo was also seen donning the stylish outerwear by Ideas Man.

Mohib Mirza All Set for Directorial Debut

Actor Mohib Mirza is all set to mark his directorial debut with the release of the film ‘Ishrat Made in China.’ The film is an action-packed thriller with mind-blowing stunts, loads of dance moves and gripping moments. The film also marks the film debut of ace designer Hassan Shehyar Yaseen aka HSY.

While Mohib Mirza plays the lead role, the film also features Sanam Saeed, Shamoon Abbassi, Sara Loren, Ali Kazmi, Mani, Shabbir Jan, Nayyer Ejaz, Imam Syed and Mustafa Chaudhry.

Puma Signs Asif Ali as Brand Ambassador

Puma, the world’s leading sports brand, has signed Asif Ali as the brand ambassador for a period of two years.

With the newly signed deal, the 30-year old Asif Ali becomes the first Pakistani cricketer to be signed by the sportswear manufacturing company.

Puma has already got India’s Virat Kohli, Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, and New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum on board.

Previously, Pakistan captain, Babar Azam, and wicket-keeper batter, Mohammad Rizwan, have been signed by cricket equipment manufacturing company, Gray-Nicolls.

A New Web Series by Asim Abbasi

‘Zindagi Gulzar Hai’ couple Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed is back with a web series by Asim Abbasi on Zindagi Original.

The show is said to blend fantasy and magic realism within the backdrop of a family reunion. The streaming platform is yet to announce the airing date for the much-anticipated web series.

Fatima Fertilizer Earns Guiness Recognition

Fatima Fertilizer became the first company within the global fertilizer industry to have clocked 60,220,000 safe man-hours, which the highest accomplishment within the global fertilizer industry. This landmark achievement was only made possible by demonstrating the highest safety performance through the implementation of world class safety standards and industry best practices.

This latest achievement by Fatima Fertilizers has marked the Guinness Book of World Record and demonstrates that its work processes and quality standards are truly global, while at the same time constantly focusing on continuous quality improvement.

This recent achievement by Fatima Fertilizer is testament to the fact that its work operations and quality standards are truly world class, while maintaining a consistent focus on continuous quality improvement.

Arslan Butt and Esra Bilgic Together

Pakistani actor Arslan Butt and Turkish actress Esra Bilgic came together to work on a project, the details of which are not known. The news of the duo working together came to light after Butt posted a picture of them on his Instagram account where he appreciated Bilgic for her humble and gentle nature on the sets. He further invited her to visit Pakistan soon since the Pakistani cuisines are waiting for her. Bilgic also reacted to the Instagram post immediately dropping a set of thanking emojis leaving the fans more excited about the project.

Nomi Ansari’s Secret Courtyard

Pakistan’s most celebrated fashion designer, Nomi Ansari showcased his spectacular collection ‘Secret Courtyard’ at Dubai Fashion Week.

Sticking to the signature style, ‘The Secret Courtyard’ by Nomi Ansari brings a grand display of colours, print and intricate handwork. And how can one forget the iconic masterpiece, the famous green dress adorned by Pakistan’s leading politician Maryam Nawaz Sharif.