Dr Mahnoor Nasir has been shifted to a private hospital in Karachi for treatment and her attacker, later identified by police as Humayun Shah, an employee at the hospital, was kil­led in an encounter with law enforcers while attempting to flee on a bus.

News of her attack has rocked the nation, not only because of the ferocity of it, but because it is far from the first case of a woman being attacked with acid.

“A woman went to WORK today. To SAVE LIVES. And someone threw acid on her face. I can’t. I genuinely cannot,” wrote Mahira Khan in an impassioned Instagram story.

“Dr Mahnoor Nasir [was] attacked inside a hospital. INSIDE A HOSPITAL. This is barbaric. This is evil. I am shaking with rage. This woman deserved safety. Instead she was nearly burned alive by a man who thought he had the right to destroy her,” she wrote.

“It’s time for not just the women but the MEN to speak up. To be louder. To be angrier!!!”

Singer Hadiqa Kiani said what happened to Dr Mahnoor Nasir should shake us all. “It is heartbreaking, horrifying and absolutely unacceptable,” she wrote, highlighting that Dr Nasir’s is not an isolated case.

“For too long, our women have faced violence, acid attacks, harassment and even death simply for existing, working and living with dignity. This must not be treated as another tragic headline,” she wrote.

Kiani implored society to find the courage to protect women before tragedy strikes.

Actor Mariyam Nafees shared a video of herself talking about multiple acts of violence against women in Pakistan.

“If she says no to a marriage proposal, we kill her. If she’s stranded in her car with her kids, we rape her. If she’s a girl, we kidnap her, sell her and rape her. If she gets married,  for some reason or the other, we burn her or kill her. If she’s a doctor, we throw acid on her in broad daylight. If she was born, we throw her in a garbage bin or drown her in a drain. But we talk about clothes because that is the biggest issue of our society — this is, I don’t even know what to say anymore.” 

Actor Saheefa Jabbar Khattak shared a note on Instagram about how morally policing women helps normalise hatred and contempt. 

“When people constantly speak against women’s clothing, their choices, their rights or even their mere existence, they help create an environment where misogyny thrives. The same mindset that shames women for what they wear is part of the culture that enables violence against them, where it’s acid attacks, murdering a wife for refusing sex, or brutalising a woman because she gave birth to a daughter,” she wrote.

“These horrific acts do not emerge in a vacuum. They are rooted in the same belief that women should be controlled, judged and punished for simply existing on their own terms.” 

Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy shared a screenshot of a story about the attack and said achievement, service or dignity has never protected women from violence.

“The shame belongs to the attacker and to our society that still allows this to happen.”

Actor Amna Ilyas highlighted that in the wrong hands, acid is a weapon.

“A woman should be able to go to work without fearing violence. We need accountability, justice and stricter control over substances that can be used to destroy lives,” she said.

“Another woman, incident, noise, then silence. Get well soon doc! Being an achiever woman in this society, you certainly need a guard. Rip life for a woman,” wrote host Shaista Lodhi, highlighting that the cycle of violence against women always end with the outrage soon dying down and then silence.

Actor Sana Javed called hearing news of the attack “deeply unsettling”.

“There is something extremely wrong when someone can so easily obtain acid and use it to destroy another person’s life. This is no longer just about one incident, it’s about how little has changed,” she wrote in an Instagram story.

Several celebrities shared a video of how to provide first aid in case of an acid attack, much to their regret. Hina Altaf said she her heart broke at having to share it, while Yasir Hussain said he’d seen videos of natural disasters but seeing this one shocked him.

Actor Ayesha Omar shared a lengthy note on the attack, calling it a “psychological one”.

“It’s an attack on her freedom, her professionalism, her independence, her autonomy, her education, her mind, her soul and her spirit. It reminds us of how unsafe women are, not just on the streets but at their so-called safe workplaces and even inside their own homes,” she wrote.

“She goes our to save lives and her own is ruined. By an employee of the same hospital. I’m shaken and shattered…I’m full of anger and rage.”

She called for major “mental reforms” in the country and a deep dive into how to “start shfiting the misogynistic, violent mindset prevalent in Pakistan on a grassroot level” for all tiers of society.

“It’s not about law and order only. It’s about shifting the sick, twisted mindset, otherwise we are heading towards complete collapse and destruction.”

The attack on Dr Nasir is not the first act of violence against a Pakistani woman and it won’t be the last, not when acid is easily available, when men can’t take no for an answer, and when society continues to turn the other way when it comes to protecting women.

On Saturday, a man threw acid at a female doctor at Quetta’s Civil Hospital, severely injuring her. Dr Mahnoor Nasir survived, but with 70 per cent of her body burned, according to hospital sources.

On Thursday, a 64-year-old man surrendered himself to the police in Karachi and confessed to killing his wife for refusing to engage in intercourse with him the night before.

After going through the horror of witnessing so much crime, Pakistanis on X asked how many more women have to go through this before something actually changes.

As always, there were people online blaming the victims of these tragedies, claiming there was some reason why they were attacked, as if women aren’t attacked at random. Netizens were not having it and responded by calling out the real culprits: misogyny and male entitlement.

People were understandably enraged at why, after so many acid attacks, acid was still easily available for any potential attacker to buy and even carry with him into a hospital.

While the Acid Control Crime and Prevention Act, 2011 requires sellers to record the personal details of buyers, the substance remains commercially available and is readily used for domestic applications like drain cleaning.

In the case of the man who murdered his wife, a clip of him emerged where lawyers were huddled around the killer telling him they’d represent him and he was “in the right”. Users on X were horrified, with one shocked the lawyers could do so and still face their mothers, daughters, wives and sisters at home.

Many believed men need to be taught how to take no for an answer.

And of course, for many, the main culprit is always feminism. Many netizens rolled their eyes at people at the scrutiny around feminism and what feminists stand for when women “continue to be killed, raped and burned by acid attacks”.

One user put one of the biggest struggles of being a woman in Pakistan into perspective — no woman is safe from attacks by entitled men.

A lot of people were angry.

The prevalence of violence against women in Pakistan signifies a deep, systemic rot in the way society thinks about and treats women. Until attitudes change and everyone starts seeing women as human beings worthy of respect and rights, we can’t expect anything to improve.

The question is: how many more women need to be killed and injured before society finally has had enough?

There have been multiple reports of fictional clashes between the two cities, with videos showing the use of ‘heavy weaponary’, many of which are being seen for the first time.

Fighting between infantry units has escalated into gruelling close quarters battles, with troops engaging in hand-to-hand combat in the trenches after munitions ran low on both sides.

The fighting took a turn for the worse after forces from Okara deployed a never-before-seen short-range rocket system against the Federation’s troops.

Armoured units soon entered the fight, with Sahiwal’s state-of-the-art light tanks routing Okaran formations, swiftly striking fear into the hearts of enemy troops.

As a countermeasure, Okara’s forces deployed super-fast trucks developed by their scientists at Area-52 — the facility was built by Sahiwal and has since been taken over by Okara after the Republic broke away.

The trucks are expected to be able to break through to the frontlines and provide much needed supplies to the Republic’s forces.

Artillery batteries from both sides have been hammering rival positions, with video showing shells criss-crossing in the air due to the sheer volume of fire on the front.

Okara has established absolute air supremacy in the skies over Sahiwal with its high-tech ‘aircraft’. Sahiwal’s air forces have resorted to using ground-based assets for strikes and have attempted to hit targets as far as Karachi — although reports indicate the strike package got stuck on University Road.

Wing Commander Chahat Fateh Ali Khan, a veteran of the India-Pakistan meme war of 2025, was intercepted by Okara and reportedly remains in custody.

Other cities are taking sides in the conflict and the fighting has spilled into other areas. There are fears this may turn into a major proxy conflict as Lahore has thrown its weight behind Sahiwal.

In response, Karachi has joined the war on Okara’s side with 4,000 men of the elite Korangi Cavalry being sent to support Okaran forces.

Bahawalpur has entered into a mutual defence agreement with Okara.

Muridke and Pattoki — both part of Lahore’s divisional sphere of influence — have rebelled and pledged support to Okara, sending naval units to blockade Sahiwal. Yeah, even we don’t know how that one works.

We have questions, so many questions. What on earth is going on? Who started this? Where is it headed? And how will the economy fare with the budget just days away?

We don’t have any answers yet, please send them in the comments if you do and stay tuned, there may be updates.

Jaffer was sentenced to death in February 2022 by a sessions court in Islamabad for the 2021 murder of Noor Mukadam, with subsequent appeals in the Islamabad High Court and Supreme Court ending in rulings that upheld the punishment.

Users on X breathed a sigh of collective relief upon hearing the news, calling it a positive development for women’s rights, safety and the rule of law in Pakistan.

Netizens said Jaffer’s sentence sets an example that could serve as deterrence for other acts of violence against women.

One person said though it won’t bring Mukadam back, the dismissal of the review plea closes an avenue for the criminal in “one of Pakistan’s most horrific cases” to escape accountability.

Another advised caution, saying this case was only a start and there was still a long way to go when it came to protecting Pakistan’s women against violence.

A few others were less optimistic, saying justice remained out of reach for people without means and societal influence.

One user said Mukadam’s case was resolved in four to five years owing to her father’s influence as a retired diplomat. Another cited the examples of Natasha Danish and Shahrukh Jatoi — two influential people who were accused of murder and then later pardoned by the victims’ families.

There was also discussion around Jaffer’s defence in the case. His legal team told the court he suffered from mental health issues, attempting to use that as a reason for the murder, something the courts rejected. One person said such tactics end up hurting people who actually do need help with their mental health and increase the stigma around it.

With Thursday’s decision, a presidential pardon under Article 45 of the Constitution is the only way Jaffer can be given clemency with a suspension or commutation of his death sentence.

Talking about using Black Forest’s technology for storyboarding, the director said, “For 70 years, I’ve been creating my own storyboards. There’s always been this problem of ‘how do you communicate what you see in your head to your cast and crew’. There are some things you have to see and feel. I’m interested in the intersection of technology and storytelling, and seeing how that can push the bounds of creativity to create deeper and richer experiences for audiences… Now, with this tool, I can share what I’m visualising more clearly and efficiently to my creative team — the production designer, art designer, and cinematographer — for them to build on to enrich cinematic intelligence.”

While Scorsese appeared to hail AI as the next frontier in the development of cinema, fans were less than enthusiastic about one of Hollywood’s most iconic minds buying into the AI wave.

One user said it was part of a worrying trend of senior filmmakers such as James Cameron, George Miller and Ridley Scott pushing AI tech.

A few others contended that the even more worrying thing was that these older directors will probably not be around to see the effects of the tech “revolution” they’re advocating for.

As storyboarding is a proper function on any film set and storyboard artists working hard to bring a director’s vision to life, people were concerned about the impact this would have on their livelihoods.

Someone brought up Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki’s principled stance against AI with a video in which he calls the idea to integrate AI in artistic work like his “an insult to life itself”.

Some fans, grieving the way the internet does, chose to meme their way through the situation.

Hollywood films aren’t the only arenas where humans are gradually being pushed out by AI. Bollywood is experimenting with the technology, there are attempts to bring an AI-generated actor into the mainstream and Vogue even featured an ad with an AI-generated model last year.

Last year also saw a trend where people used Chat GPT to remake their pictures into Miyazaki’s signature art style. We have no doubt he wasn’t happy about this.

Chacha Cricket, whose unwavering support for Pakistan’s cricket team in spite of their incredibly poor performance made him a symbol of hope for cricket fans everywhere, retired from cheering for the team in a ceremony on Tuesday.

The Pakistan Cricket Board treated the super-fan to a cake and a commemorative jersey presented by skipper Shaheen Afridi on the sidelines of the One Day International between Pakistan and Australia at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium — where Chacha watched his first international match in 1969.

Being a celebrity, Chacha’s fans were sad to see him leave the field and tributes poured in on X.

Ali Tareen, the former owner of the Multan Sultans and a bonafide cricket fanatic, recalled his memories seeing Chacha Cricket at Pakistan’s games.

Another user recalled meeting him as a kid and being inspired to cheer for Pakistan.

Naturally, netizens weren’t happy to see the green shirts lost Chacha’s farewell match. We’re all pretty used to seeing them lose, but this game was supposed to be special.

One user said he deserved better, while another speculated he may have chosen to retire because even he couldn’t stand the team’s incessant losing streak.

Whatever the cause may be, Chacha Cricket’s almost 500-match-long career of being Pakistan’s biggest cheerleader brought smiles, spirit and much-needed hope to a group of beleaguered fans who often don’t have much else to keep them going. He will be missed both on and off the field.

In a clip shared on Instagram, digital creator Rija Rafique identified a YouTube channel run by Noman Aleem, a “drama analyst and critic”, who she claimed was posting videos about Pakistani dramas and actors with digitally manipulated cover photos.

Rafique shared thumbnails of Aleem’s videos — which have since been changed — illustrating how specific body parts of Pakistanis actresses and other prominent figures had been digitally manipulated in order to “entice the male gaze”.

She explained that any act through which Artificial Intelligence and digital tools are used to cause “physical, sexual or psychological harm” to women is termed “technology-facilitated gender-based violence”.

She added that just because a woman is a public figure, “that does not mean you have the right to manipulate her images in any way you wish, because that is illegal”.

Rafique pointed out that under the Constitution, nobody could “attack the natural dignity” of another person. She added that the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act (Peca), 2025, Section 2R on the regulation of “unlawful or offensive online content”, particularly subsections (f) and (g), held liable for blocking or removal any online content which is “obscene or pornographic” or “fake”.

Rafique claimed there had been a surge in gender-based violence as social media access grew from 2019 onwards.

She said she wasn’t against the rising popularity of social media, but regretted that “the patriarchy we face in the physical world now has a modified form of misogyny online in the shape of harassment, stalking and image-based violence”.

In a comment under the video, Rafique claimed Aleem had changed the thumbnails of the videos she had mentioned, but she had saved screenshots of the objectionable content.

In the comments section a number of celebrities appreciated her for raising this important issue.

Romaisa Khan said she had come across the channel on YouTube earlier and had to “immediately report it” for its content. She said the issue wasn’t just the thumbnails but also that “how they talk about the actors is disgusting”.

Naeema Butt called on Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to take action against Aleem, calling his videos a “shameful act”. She asked the YouTuber what the actors had done to him and if he had any fear of punishment for what he was doing.

Bushra Ansari calls out fake quotes

Elsewhere on the internet, veteran actor Bushra Ansari clarified that she was not responsible for politically charged statements being attributed to her on social media.

In a post on Instagram, she said, “It has come to my attention that some fake graphics and political statements are being circulated on social media using my picture. I want to make it absolutely clear to all of you that I have never shared or supported any political narrative and these false statements have zero connection to me.”

In the caption, the actor called the actions “cheap and criminal”, adding that such use of social media was “awful”.

An explosion hit the train as it was passing through a railway crossing in the provincial capital, derailing passenger bogies and destroying a number of vehicles waiting for the train to cross.

As Pakistanis mourned the tragedy, celebrities joined the nation in expressing their grief at the loss of life. Mahira Khan saw the city bleed again and couldn’t help but ask: “How much more?”

Sarwat Gilani posted a story with broken hearts.

Talha Anjum minced no words and said he stood “with our soldiers” against the “terrorists” who took “innocent lives” in the attack. The rapper also sent prayers for the souls of those who had died.

Farhan Saeed similarly said his “heart goes out to all the victims and [their] families”. He said he wished Pakistani forces would “make examples” out of those responsible. The singer said the attack was the work of Pakistan’s enemy, which had to be defeated “at any cost”.

Designer Hassan Sheheryar Yasin spoke for many people across Pakistan when he said, “Today our hearts are heavy with the pain of so many innocent lives lost and families forever changed.”

The attack occurred shortly after 8am on Sunday when the train was travelling from Quetta Cantonment to the city’s main railway station. People present near the site of the incident recounted hearing a loud explosion and seeing people run for cover.

A statement from the provincial government said the victims included three members of the Frontier Constabulary and a number of “pedestrians, passengers, bystanders, and residents living in houses adjacent to the blast site”. A family of four, a couple and their two children, were among the casualties.

The world was forced to confront that reality on Tuesday when the company announced its iconic search bar would be “totally reimagined with AI” in what it described as the biggest change to the web’s favourite search engine in 25 years.

The comment section was full of people telling Google this was a terrible idea nobody had asked for.

Some users threatened to walk out on the world’s most popular search engine if the change was implemented. They even had alternatives prepared for this exact scenario.

Users reacting to the company’s announcement on X asked it to please do away with the idea of putting AI in everything and let the internet heal.

One user, probably tired of fighting the AI surge and wanting to not experience any more of it, asked Google to at least allow people to opt out of the new development.

While Google’s move seems common-sense on the surface, especially in the context of the rise of AI chatbots as tools of retrieving information, that’s not the full picture. AI agents — including Google’s own Gemini which the AI-search feature will operate on — are known to be susceptible to manipulation.

The bots often push popular but unverified information as fact, leading to a dangerous potential to spread misinformation. While some services — including Google’s current system of AI summaries — attempt to counter this by citing sources, many people do not check these citations before accepting the information as factual.

There are also the environmental impacts of artificial intelligence, with the technology having been criticised for its heavy clean water usage.

Estimates indicate 10 to 50 prompts on an AI agent use up roughly half a litre of water; multiply that by three and its the water an average person needs to consume in a day, multiply it by millions and we have an environmental crisis waiting to happen.

With water scarcity and misinformation both being prevalent issues, it’s worth asking if AI really is the next frontier of technology or if we’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere.

While the sentence awaits confirmation from the Islamabad High Court, Pakistanis on X are saying justice has finally been served.

Netizens said every victim deserves justice.

Sana’s parents spoke to the media after the judgment was announced. Her mother, Farzana, thanking the team of lawyers for their efforts and police for their cooperation, said justice had been served. She thanked the judge and the media, noting that the “media supported us from the beginning”.

“The culprit has been handed the right punishment,” she said.

Sana’s father, Yousaf Hassan, said, “We had been waiting for today for the past 11 months […] and the judiciary has given its verdict in the spirit of justice.”

Thanking his lawyers, he said: “This verdict is not just for me as an individual; it is for the entire society. This is a lesson for all such criminals in society that if they commit such an act, they can get such a result.”

The ensemble was inspired by white peacocks, with her outfit incorporating mukesh and zardozi embroidery with mirror-work, making Saeed shimmer in camera flashes like the star she is.

According to a post from Rehar’s brand, it took 50 artisans over 2,300 hours to finish the intricate handiwork.

The jewellery also kept to the theme, with the silver and diamond set including ear cuffs inspired by a peacock’s feathers. Flowers braided into her hair completed the look.

Everyone on X agreed she looked stunning and many felt that this was a major moment for Pakistani representation.

Some users from outside Pakistan also wanted a piece of the representation pie. In fact, they felt entitled to it.

Of course, Pakistanis were not having it and the clapbacks began flying across the border.

One user asked if the people wanting to claim Saeed and Rehar today were the same ones willing to throw hands over Pakistanis saying biryani was joint cultural heritage.

Others asked why users from across the border weren’t happy with India’s own representatives at Cannes — actors Alia Bhatt, Huma Qureshi, Urvashi Rautela and billionaire heiress Isha Ambani were among the many Indian names in town at the same time.

Some people insisted Saeed was indeed South Asian and there was nothing wrong with saying that, but the use of the label had to be reciprocal to be fair.

Then a user pointed out the golden rule for what label to use — or at least the rule used by the Indian side.

Of course, nobody bothered to ask the representative whom she was representing, choosing instead to make their own story around Saeed and her appearance. She made herself clear in an Instagram post on Sunday.

The star at the centre of all the drama said she was “a South Asian woman representing Pakistan and our heritage and craft”.

She said she walked the red carpet “for the women of Pakistan, for the ones who came before us, for the ones who are yet to come and for the ones [who] are never seen behind the scenes”.

The Next Salahuddin, a children’s film about a Gazan boy who dreams of conquering Jerusalem, has been picked up by HUM TV for a future release, the channel announced on Friday. The film had a limited theatrical run earlier this year across nine Pakistani cities.

Created by Jinn TV, the film follows Yousuf, whose childhood is taken away from him by a — presumably Israeli — airstrike that kills his family members and leaves him buried under the rubble of his home.

The boy then works towards his goal of uniting Muslims around the world to avenge his people and raise the Palestinian flag over the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, shadowing the achievements of Salahuddin Ayubi — the Muslim general who captured the city during the Crusades.

The film was conceptualised by Ustadh Asim Ismail and brought to life by Farhan Siddiqui, who wrote and created it using AI. A Malaysian non-profit organisation, Cinta Gaza Malaysia, was also involved in the film’s development.

In the announcement’s comment section, the mood was less jovial than expected and people wondered if this was really the right way to go about making a film on such an important topic.

Netizens questioned if HUM TV, part of one of the largest media companies in Pakistan, lacked the resources to make a film on the Palestinian struggle without using AI.

Some users pointed out the controversies surrounding the use of AI itself, like its wasteful use of clean water and the fact it has been called out for enabling the exploitation of artists and writers.

Others made their point very clear: AI is not art. They also called on people to boycott generative AI.

HUM TV has not given a release date for the film yet and it remains to be seen how the film will be received by audiences when it does air.

The activists, including Sheema Kermani and Karachi City Council member Shahzadi Rai, were released later in the day on the orders of Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar, but not before public outcry began on X over what some netizens called a sign of “shrinking” civil liberties.

Others called the display “shameful”. They questioned why the right to peaceful assembly was being infringed upon and whether it was even upheld anymore, especially when it came to Aurat March.

People, including activist Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr, were especially outraged at clips of Kermani being manhandled by police personnel and being pushed into the back of a police car.

People wondered if this is how members of the province’s ruling party are treated — Rai is a member of the PPP — how would the police deal with non-members. Her arrest was also condemned by netizens as “unacceptable”.

Another video of an activist being carried into a police van was labelled a “disgrace”.

As the date of their annual protest approaches, Aurat March organisers have said they “will not back down” from their demand to hold the protest in Karachi and will continue to seek the necessary clearance.

They called the police action a “scare tactic” and demanded an explanation from the government on why their activists were arrested and why the NOC is being delayed.

In a story on Instagram, she reacted to a video about the incident, asking why it wasn’t being reported on and what was being done to rescue them.

Anjum was also worried about the crew, especially one member he said “is like a brother to me”. He claimed the government “has taken no action” in a series of stories posted on his Instagram account.

He said he was “ashamed” as a Pakistani at the government’s “non seriousness” and “under the rug policy” when it came to its citizens trapped abroad. He pleaded for authorities to “wake up and bring them home”.

Farooq expressed disbelief at the incident, asking who people should go to for justice in a crisis like this.

The vessel “Owner 25” was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden last week and its crew — which includes the Indonesian captain alongside Pakistani sailors — has been held hostage ever since.

The foreign ministry is in contact with the government of Somalia about the incident and is taking part in a collaborative effort with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the Pakistan Navy and other stakeholders to secure the release of the Pakistani citizens.

Sindh Governor Syed Muhammad Nehal Hashmi met family members of the Pakistani hostages on Monday and assured them both the provincial and federal governments stood with them in this trying time.

He said communication with the kidnapped Pakistanis remained intact and efforts for their safe recovery were ongoing at all levels.

In a vlog posted on Sunday, the actor made her distaste for Jamal’s comments clear and told him they were inappropriate and out of line.

Ansari said it was her firm belief that it was “difficult to find a mediocre actor” in Pakistan’s entertainment industry, but she wouldn’t announce it to the world even if she did find one.

She said the job of correcting actors and telling them how to perform fell on their directors and “insulting your colleagues on their craft, that too on social media, is highly inappropriate”.

Without taking his name and referring to him as “an accomplished actor”, Ansari said Jamal calling other senior actors “selfish”, “showpiece” and “mediocre” did not suit him and she would never make similar comments about his own work — even if it wasn’t up to par.

The Dekh Zara Pyar Se star said it was common courtesy not to speak ill of the dead. “That applies to all people, but to berate an artist after he has left the mortal realm? Someone saying something I can’t even repeat about Talat Hussain; or saying Abid [Ali] was selfish; or that Shafi [Muhammad] was of little use; or that Khayyam Sarhadi couldn’t speak well; that Rahat Kazmi, may God keep him safe, was a showpiece, this is very bad.”

She asked Jamal to be careful what example he is setting for the next generation. “This is the height of bad manners and it’s what you’re passing down to the next generation. When you pass away, or I do, the kids will dig up our corpses and insult us, saying, ‘What did these fossils know, they acted so high and mighty when they were alive. They only knew to act in one tone.’ Who knows what people will say, don’t encourage such things.”

Ansari said the actor was a better than she was, but he didn’t seem to be doing alright. “I don’t think he’s okay. He’s been through cancer, may God give him health, but I feel like his medications have made him forget how be respectful.”

She asked him to consider the impact his words have on people, “Think of how Abid Ali’s daughters feel and his wife. Think of Talat Hussain… his children must be feeling terrible. Shafi’s son… think of how he feels. You spoke about Rahat Kazmi, think about how his son feels. What are you saying… Get a hold of yourself, please, get some rest.”

Ansari also had something to say about podcasts and how everyone seems to have one nowadays. She said she had only ever appeared on one — and only because it was hosted by Ahmed Ali Butt and she was friends with his grandmother — but she knew a thing or two about interviews from her own time in the field.

She said people had forgotten how to be respectful on podcasts and interviewers back in her day like Khushbakht Shujaat, Obaidullah Baig, Mehtab Rashdi and Tariq Aziz had class and respect for their guests.

Jamal was a guest on The Yazziastic Show on April 20, when he made the disparaging comments about his contemporaries and colleagues. He said Ali was a “type actor” and “selfish”, while calling Hussain “monotonous” and reliant on “cheap theatricalities”. Sarhadi, he said, was “difficult to understand” and lacked the finesse of a trained artist.

He had praise for Qavi Khan, but that was about it. He said Kazmi was more of a “showpiece” than an actor. He called Shujaat Hashmi “self centred” and said Muhammad lacked in craft.

This not the first time the senior actor has gotten into trouble for his public comments. His comments about Mahira Khan in 2019 caused an uproar in the industry and were condemned by all quarters as ageist and sexist.

The matter reached an unprecedented height when Momina Duraid announced her production company MD Productions “will not work with him again in any capacity because of his sexist, regressive and discriminatory attitude”.

While people are urged to exercise austerity in their fuel consumption in light of supply instability, markets have been told to close early and many offices are asking employees to work from home, we know everyone needs to step out of the house sometimes.

So, for anyone who can’t stay at home pretending we’re back in a lockdown but also can’t afford to fill up their gas tanks, here are eight ways to get around without a car.

Walking

Starting off simple, this is probably the easiest and healthiest way to go places, just get up and start walking.

Pros:

• It’s free and you don’t need any equipment — except maybe a comfortable pair of shoes.
• It’s healthy too, you can meet your daily step goals every day.

Cons:

• There is a very high chance of falling into a ditch, or a manhole, or a puddle that’s deeper than you expected.
• You might be a little late to that wedding.

Bicycles

This is pretty simple too, you can’t forget once you’ve learnt.

Pros:

• Really healthy, especially if you want toned legs.
• Significantly faster than walking.

Cons:

• You’re still the slowest thing on the road.
• Not great when dealing with potholes in Karachi.

Horses

This how people used to get around in the ‘good old days’ when nobody worried about petrol prices.

Pros:

• It’s basically a self-driving car, so there’s not a lot you need to do.
• You now have a new friend to keep you company on your journeys.

Cons:

• Your new friend can deliver a mean kick with its hind legs.
• Horses are actually really expensive to buy and keep, so it might just be cheaper to drive…

Electric vehicles

It’s all the fun of driving with none of the fuel cost.

Pros:

• A lot cheaper to run than petrol-driven cars and bikes.
• They’re eco-friendly too!

Cons:

• You’re stuck if the battery dies.
• Would be great if we didn’t have constant power outages and soaring electricity prices.

Skateboards

Definitely the coolest idea on the list — maybe you can throw on a backwards cap and shades to complete the look.

Pros:

• Looks super cool.
• Costs nothing to run.

Cons

• Not as easy as it looks.
• You’ll never be as cool as that cat.

Carpooling

If you know a bunch of people going to and from the same general area, this can cut costs significantly.

Pros:

• Driving is not nearly as unaffordable if multiple people are paying for it.
• It can be nice if the other people are fun to talk to or if your music tastes align.

Cons:

• What if they’re boring, or they listen to Chahat Fateh Ali Khan…?!
• You might have to carpool with and talk to the office weirdo (you know who we’re talking about).

Teleportation

Imagine leaving for somewhere five minutes before you need to be there and somehow still getting there on time.

Pros:

• It’s super fast.
• It’s probably safer than driving in Karachi.
• You don’t need to park.

Cons:

• You’re gonna have to invent a teleportation machine.

Magic carpet

The best option if you want to see the world — shining, shimmering and splendid.

Pros:

• Super comfortable, especially if you shell out for the extra fuzzy one.
• Can be kept inside when not in use.

Cons:

• Do you have any idea how tedious it is to file a flight plan and get it approved?
• Air pollution means your laundry bill is probably going to be higher than your fuel bill if you drove places.

Okay, all options considered, we think we’re just going to stay home for a little while. Maybe what we really need is convenient, efficient and affordable public transport…

According to a press release issued on Tuesday, the decisions were made in a meeting at the headquarters of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, whose ministry oversees the CDA.

Residents of Islamabad, ever proud of their city’s natural charm, took to X in a fury to denounce the plans to develop one of the city’s most lush green areas.

Netizens questioned why the project was necessary and what had been done to assess and mitigate the environmental harm that would result from it.

Even Senator Sherry Rehman, the former federal minister for climate change, called on the government to review the plans. She said the Margalla green area is a “protected zone” and highlighted the “brutal” evictions in Bari Imam, saying “compassion and compensation must come before anything else for vulnerable populations living in these areas from before 1947”.

Some users had suggestions on what could be done in place of development in the Margallas, ranging from building environmentally conscious attractions to building hotels and parks elsewhere in the city.

There was also a feeling there were other places in the country that could use a new 1,000 kanal park or two.

While details are still scarce, the park is expected to be built in the capital’s D-12 sector, one of the northernmost sectors bordering the Margalla Hills.

The development of hotels is especially uncertain as the area highlighted for the park is zoned in a way that would not allow major construction projects to proceed.

While it is unclear whether the CDA will alter its zoning laws or if the hotels will be built somewhere else, what is clear is that the people of Islamabad love the city’s trees and don’t want to see them cut down and replaced with concrete structures.

In a video posted by People magazine, the star talked about life in her 40s and said, “I want to live a long, healthy life, Inshallah, I hope so.”

Yeah, we did a double take while watching that clip and so did a bunch of people on X who thought they might have misheard something there.

Some people were sent and others were taken out by the invocation. One user even theorised that the actor’s pronunciation and placement meant Hathaway was someone who knew what the phrase meant and where to use it.

Inshallah wasn’t all she said in the interview.

In the sagely style of a person who lived their four decades on earth to the fullest, she said being 40 lets you look back at “how certain decisions bore fruit over time and so, you can kind of assess if you want to continue making those decisions, or if you want to make new ones”.

Hathaway said age had given her a better understanding of the phrase “take it with a grain of salt,” and she’d learnt to “really value the chill”.

She also said that in life “you can either fear aging, or you can fear dying young” and we really think someone needs to put that on a poster.

The actor said she embraces aging with “curiosity” and that some things don’t change as you get older, “You still never know what’s coming around the corner… and that’s true if you’re like 11 or you’re 43.”

The exposé, filmed over the course of several weeks in late 2025 after insider information said malpractice continued after a similar outbreak in 2024, claimed to have identified 331 children infected with the disease, linking the spread of the virus to syringes being reused at the hospital.

Netizens were outraged at the continued endangerment of young lives, calling the incident “sick” and “criminal”.

One user questioned what the government was doing about the repeated violations of basic medical ethics at a public hospital. He also said the use of disposable syringes had been banned in Pakistan, which poses another question of how this could happen.

He wasn’t alone in demanding answers, many users on X wanted to know what action was to be taken in light of the revelations.

One user called the situation “unbelievably cruel on so many levels”, decrying how “unnecessary” it was because of the low cost of syringes.

One user recalled that a similar story unfolded in Jalalpur Jattan. He lamented how nothing had changed in 18 years.

Activist Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr also spoke out on the issue, mentioning past outbreaks in Sindh and how there were free programmes for patients to treat the disease.

He also cleared up some misconceptions people have regarding HIV. He clarified that the virus only spreads through injections and unprotected sexual activity.

He reiterated how regular human contact with a patient cannot result in HIV transmission. Unfortunately, as the report from the BBC pointed out, many of the children infected in Taunsa were facing societal stigma because of their illness.

Meanwhile, provincial authorities insisted corrective measures had been taken at THQ Hospital Taunsa after 11 HIV-positive patients were brought to Dera Ghazi Khan from the area.

They said a subsequent screening mission had identified 331 patients under the age of 12 and a permanent AIDS treatment facility was established at the hospital to deal with any further cases.

Without naming the BBC, the authorities said details of the corrective measures had been shared with the international broadcaster. The provincial health department said failure to include these steps in the report was “against the principles of responsible journalism”.

Actor Ahsan Khan calling it the “end of an era”.

Actor Adnan Siddiqui paid tribute to the singer, saying her voice “had a way of filling even the quietest moments with something devastatingly human”.

“Today, it’s that seem silence that feels heavier. Thank you for the emotions you gave us, the memories you became and the magic you left behind. You’ll always be heard, somewhere… somehow.“

Actor Ahmed Ali Butt thanked her for the “immortal melodies”.

Singer Ali Zafar called her an incredible artist. “Asha Bhoslee G’s work will continue to inspire generations. Such voices don’t fade with time. They become a part of it, he wrote on X.

Fellow singer Shuja Haider said Bhosle’s voice reached people all over the world, inspiring millions of fans from the past, today, and the future.

“Her name will always be remembered as one of the greatest in world music. A special chapter has closed.”

Actor Yasir Hussain shared the news on Instagram with a line from a ‘Naam Goom Jayega,’ a song by Bhosle’s late sister Lata Mangeshkar.

RJ Anoushey Ashraf shared a note on artists travelling between Pakistan and India when things weren’t so “complicated”. “Today, as we say goodbye to Asha Bhosle, it reminds me how deeply her voice lived in all our homes, on both sides.”

She said, thankfully, shared music doesn’t need visas, permissions, or political analysis. “It just shows up, resonated, and [stays] and is still the one thing people from both sides of the border appreciate fully. Maybe we should all upgrade our playlists for world peace.”

Reactions continue to pour in as more people wake up to the sad news of Bhosle’s passing.

That’s right guys, Pakistani netizens have started fangirling once again and this time, the unsuspecting target of their affections is Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi, who is visiting Islamabad this week for high-stakes negotiations with the United States.

X was flush with fan cams and edits of the minister, with one user calling him “aura guy”.

Someone on X asked the ultimate question on everyone’s mind right now — we don’t know, but we have suggestions for lunch.

People in Islamabad had their own reactions to Araghchi being in town: some were happy to have him, other’s had FOMO because they couldn’t see him personally.

FOMO is probably what led one netizen to demand the minister be taken to Centaurus for a meet and greet with all his fans.

Another said they would be forced to take drastic measures if denied the opportunity to meet Araghchi.

There was just a little bit of comparison between the negotiators on both sides.

Lastly, in a display of traditional Islamabadi hospitality, someone suggested the guest be taken the city’s serene hiking trails and given some time to rest. “He’s been through a lot, he needs some fresh air,” the user said.

Whatever their reasons may be, everyone is looking towards Islamabad today (Saturday) as talks between the US and Iranian delegations are set to commence. A breakthrough in the talks could bring the region closer to peace if a resolution to the month-long war between the US, Israel and Iran can be reached.

At the FIFA Series tournament in the Ivory Coast, the girls in green made history by pummelling their opponents from the Turks and Caicos and securing a massive eight-to-none victory.

Congratulations began to pour in from proud fans, including President Asif Ali Zardari, who called the win a “moment of national pride”. Others had similar messages of support for the team.

A user shared footage of the game’s fourth goal, where Mariam Mahmood kisses the team’s emblem on her shirt after powering the ball right into the opposing team’s net.

Another couldn’t believe the final score, posting it in all caps for the world to see.

The team’s technical ability and prowess on the field was praised.

Some netizens felt they could give a challenge to Pakistan’s male athletes. Others felt the men’s football squad could even learn a thing or two from the victors.

One fan was upset our team wouldn’t be playing in the South Asian Football Federation’s Women’s Championship this year when the side is the strongest it’s ever been. The tournament will be held in India and Indian sources report Pakistan has opted to skip due to strained ties — particularly in sports — with its eastern neighbour.

Pakistan are due to play Mauritania in their next game on Sunday followed by a bout with hosts the Ivory Coast on Thursday. We’ll be keeping an eye on their progress. Go girls!

With his arrival poured in a tsunami of content on X, as Pakistanis did what they do best — share memes.

First, everyone was quite sure he’d need to head to get his degree attested at the HEC and we all know what an ordeal that is.

He’d soon realise the value of his dollars.

Which would lead to a shopping trip.

He may indulge in a quintessentially Pakistani pastime.

But that might introduce him to the bane of every Pakistani’s existence — e-challans!

And who can forget the other bane of our existence — PTA tax.

And of course, no trip to Pakistan would be complete without paying a visit to Nida Yasir’s morning show where he would be asked some hard-hitting questions, we’re sure.

He could line up some other appearances while in the country.

Though it isn’t all roses. He’d soon get an idea of what Pakistanis are suffering through when it comes to fuel prices.

We hope he didn’t forget multiple copies of his ID card.

Someone needs to tell him to ignore the scam messages.

We’re not sure how he could resist Islamabad’s beauty.

Even if he’d need to navigate some serious detours to appreciate it.

If there’s one thing we can be sure of, he’d have some good food. We aren’t sure how his stomach would fare after though.

While he’s in town, we’d have the best commentators on duty.

We also wonder this.

The Pakistani government needs to look into this asap.

Pakistanis, please never stop making memes.

As Pakistanis celebrated the government’s successful mediation efforts and the world breathed a much-needed sigh of relief, Pakistani celebrities were also full of praise for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir.

Mahira Khan said the news is huge. “Pakistanis around the world feeling proud. In a world where war [mongering] is rising, we chose peace and mediated it,” she wrote, calling for the peace to last.

She ended her note on a hopeful “Pakistan Zindabad”.

Singer Farhan Saeed said the ceasefire was a “big relief” to the region, but also to the world at large, calling it the “biggest diplomatic win for Pakistan”. He prayed for a permanent end to the fighting.

Actor Aijaz Aslam said Pakistanis stood “tall with pride” today after their country had “carved out a monumental moment in history, bringing together the seemingly impossible”.

He congratulated PM Shehbaz and FM Munir, whose leadership he said, “has put Pakistan at the forefront of peace”. He said the world’s eyes, “from the Gulf to the US,” were now on Islamabad and called on everyone to “celebrate this landmark step toward a more peaceful future”.

Celebrity dermatologist and TV host Shaista Lodhi said it was “encouraging” to see Iran and the US sit down to sort things out and called it a “relief”.

She expressed gratitude to the prime minister and the armed forces, led by FM Munir, and prayed for the ceasefire to lead to “lasting peace in the region and beyond”.

Actor Mira Sethi called Pakistan a “global peace broker”, while her Doctor Bahu co-star Adeel Hussain shared a tweet about Pakistan being a “global peacemaker”, saying he was a “proud Pakistani”.

Model Shehzad Noor, presumably a resident of Karachi, asked the all-important question: now that he’s opened the Strait of Hormuz, can the prime minister please open University Road too?

Observers are now looking to Islamabad in anticipation as the city gears up to host US and Iranian delegations for an in-person moot on Friday. Many are hopeful the talks will result in an extension of the temporary ceasefire and maybe even an end to the war.

This comes after US President Donald Trump threatened a “civilisation will die” if Iran didn’t agree to US terms on Tuesday. Pakistani negotiators were hard at work as a back channel between the warring parties.

Then, less than an hour before the American deadline, Iran’s foreign minister announced an agreement had been reached to enact a two-week ceasefire and for both sides to meet in Islamabad on Friday.

Pakistanis, who woke up to the news, took to X to celebrate the country’s — really, the world’s — biggest diplomatic win in a while.

Some celebrated with poetry…

Others with memes.

Netizens were proud of what had been achieved and many were not planning to be modest about it either.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was hailed as a hero.

After his month-long phone marathon finally paid off, people wondered who would be calling his office next.

Of course, Pakistanis kept their neighbours in mind during the celebrations, with netizens — including comedian Ali Gul Pir —speculating on how India would react to the development.

Meanwhile in India, some people were willing to acknowledge Pakistan’s achievement, even if it came with a slight sense of disbelief.

Of course, no crisis is complete without Pakistanis unleashing our ultimate weapon: memes. Someone said we had main character energy, another recited a verse in honour of PM Shehbaz.

Of course someone had to point out that the Strait of Hormuz was opened before Karachi’s University Road.

The world is looking to Islamabad with bated breath to see what happens next and whether the ceasefire can be made permanent. In the meantime, Pakistanis are going to make the most of this moment.

Initial reactions to the news were so expletive-laden that we can’t publish them, but then something magical happened. As the dust settled and the people of Pakistan realised what was happening, they brought out their tried and tested crisis-coping mechanism: humour.

To start, a couple of X users were quick to point out the absurdity of a world where a war between three countries made life unaffordable in a fourth one.

Someone pointed out how a lot of people were going to try and fill up their tanks — and anything else they could find — in the final hours before prices shot up.

Students, who have consistently been asking for a suspension of classes in every crisis since the Covid-19 pandemic, were quick to demand classes move online in the face of rising transport costs.

Netizens who were less hopeful about working or studying from home began to consider alternate modes of transportation.

One user regretted selling his old bicycle — much like every Pakistani dad regrets selling that one plot of land — and another felt a horse would be a good investment in these trying times.

Someone — most likely an introvert — gave in to their inner voice and cancelled all their social plans effective immediately.

Netizens said fuel prices weren’t the only things rising rapidly.

Another group felt there were other woes to focus on.

A couple of people even found an especially innovative solution to save money on fuel.

Others also felt the petrol pump was no longer the right place to buy something so expensive; they suggested petrol be sold alongside gold at jewellery stores.

Jokes aside, the price hike is sure to bite hard into people’s incomes, with transport already accounting for a significant chunk of monthly expenses for many Pakistanis.

While the turmoil in the Middle East continues, we can’t be sure when — and if — things will go back to normal.

On Piyari Eid with Javeria Saud, a segment that should have been an easy crowd-pleaser — celebrities guessing who’s who from childhood photos — spiralled into something uncomfortable. Pictures of many young stars were featured, including Mahira Khan, Iqra Aziz, Sajal Aly and Atif Aslam, including one picture that host Javeria Saud claimed was a childhood photo of Yumna Zaidi.

Except, it wasn’t.

As guests, including Yasir Hussain, Nausheen Shah and others, struggled to guess who the child in the photo was, Saud offered vague hints. When pressed further, she described the person as being among people who had been “working since the Stone Age” but had only recently received recognition, before breaking into laughter. A few guests joined in.

It might have passed as an ill-timed joke if the premise itself wasn’t already flawed. The confusion wasn’t because the guests were out of touch, it was because the image wasn’t of Zaidi to begin with. When Shah finally guessed it might be her, Saud confirmed it, doubling down, laughter and all.

Zaidi, understandably, did not find it funny.

Taking to Instagram, she set the record straight with restraint. “This is not my childhood picture,” she wrote, calling it “identity based disinformation” and reminding channels gently that information should be verified before being aired on national television.

But her fellow industry mates, weren’t ready to let another case of sloppy programming topped with crass humour slide.

Maya Ali, in a story that quickly made rounds on social media, questioned why the industry continues to undermine its own without naming names. “When will we start respecting our own talent?” she wrote, pointing out the irony of insiders publicly pulling each other down.

Hania Aamir reshared her statement with a simple “what she said!” Actor Nameer Khan echoed the sentiment, calling out the lack of empathy and respect within the industry.

Umair Nasir Ali, who directed Zaidi’s Nayab, stepped in with an actual childhood photo of Zaidi noting, “Respect begins with getting the facts right JS.”

Saud, for her part, issued an apology, acknowledging that the image had been picked up online without proper verification. She maintained, however, that her “Stone Age” remark had been misunderstood and wasn’t directed at anyone in particular.

But here’s the thing about live television and public platforms, intent is only half the story. Delivery is the other half, and in this case, the laughter did the talking.

Because even if we momentarily accept that the comment wasn’t meant to be about age, or about Zaidi in particular, it landed that way. And in an industry where women are already under relentless scrutiny for how long they’ve been around, how they look, and whether they’re still “relevant,” that kind of throwaway line doesn’t exist in a vacuum. And when it’s followed by mocking laughter, it becomes something harder to brush off as harmless banter.

There’s also the more basic, less glamorous problem — the complete lack of homework. A segment built entirely around identifying celebrities hinged on a piece of information that wasn’t even correct. Verification isn’t a high bar, it’s the bare minimum. And yet, time and again, local television manages to trip over it.

What could have been a fun, nostalgic game ended up exposing two persistent issues — how casually disrespect can be packaged as humour, and how little effort sometimes goes into content that reaches millions.

Zaidi handled it with grace. Her peers backed her with clarity. The question is whether the platforms that sparked this will take it as a cue to do better.

The crunchy cargo was en route from a facility in central Italy to sweet-toothed Poland when the truck carrying it disappeared; both the vehicle and its contents remain unaccounted for.

A spokesperson for the company said, “We’ve always encouraged people to have a break with Kit Kat, but it seems thieves have taken the message too literally and made a break with more than 12 tonnes of our chocolate.” Investigations into the heist are ongoing.

Users on X seemed to agree, someone was getting a break — and it definitely wasn’t the guys at Kit Kat.

Naturally, there was some discussion on semantics. After all, we needed to label this before it got too far.

Other users were more concerned with the thieves’ motives — what was going on in their heads, what could they possibly want with 12 tonnes of chocolate?

Netizens even had a bunch of potential suspects, including one particularly suspicious neighbour.

Other suspects were identified too, hopefully giving investigators a helpful list to go through.

The fact that over 400,000 chocolate bars went missing just before Easter did not make a very good case for one particular bunny.

Thankfully, Nestle confirmed the heist would not have a significant impact on chocolate supplies in the region and that consumers across Europe would be able to enjoy their favourite treats as usual.

Kit Kat also said the missing bars would be found, with measures in place to identify them using the unique batch codes found on each item.

The internet was soon flooded with clips of the chaos brought about by the storm, with trees uprooted, vehicles overturned and random objects hurled across the city’s roads by powerful gusts of wind.

Mahira Khan, who happened to be on set when the rain started, shared a video showing part of the set collapsing and crew members rushing to take shelter.

Adnan Siddiqui and Fahad Mustafa were filming Jeeto Pakistan when the studio’s roof began to leak, almost causing Mustafa to slip and fall. The rain, however, did not dampen their spirits, as Siddiqui shared a lighthearted moment of them making the best of a bad situation.

Meanwhile in another part of the city, chand raat festivities were disrupted at The Commons and Locate Bazaar, two of the more prominent festivals part of Karachi’s pre-Eid celebrations. Attendees had to seek shelter as debris from food and jewellery stalls was swept up by the wind.

People reported that some restaurants with outdoor seating were ravaged by the storm.

Actor Agha Ali was at home when the rain started, but that didn’t mean he was safe from it. The star shared clips of water seeping in through the windows of his 12th-floor apartment. His solution, which wasn’t 100 per cent effective, involved a towel and dumbbells.

People sent Karachiites thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. TV host Shaista Lodhi prayed for God’s mercy while Sonya Hussyn recounted scenes of destruction as she was coming home after the storm.

Architect Marvi Mazhar questioned the implementation of the 2022 orders of the Sindh High Court regarding the removal of billboards in line with a Supreme Court ruling from 2018.

In a thread on X, she said the city’s susceptibility to heavy winds made the advertisement hoardings a public safety hazard, but they remained a part of the city’s skyline “by quiet compromises and policy backtracking”.

She added that Wednesday’s storm was not the first time weather conditions had made billboards a threat to people’s lives and questioned whether lessons learned in the past were “ignored, or deliberately forgotten”.

This is unfortunately not the first time rain has wreaked havoc on Karachi and it’s unlikely to be the last. As Pakistan’s largest city picks up the pieces after yet another disastrous downpour, many are worried what the upcoming monsoon season will bring.

Cover Photo: Fahim Siddiqi/White Star

On stage, he made his stance even clearer, saying, “No to war, and free Palestine”. The statement earned loud applause from many people in attendance, except Priyanka Chopra, who was standing beside him as the award’s co-presenter.

The Indian actor stood on stage, seemingly caught off-guard and awkwardly smiled at Bardem. Her reaction and the fact that she isn’t exactly anti-war ensured one thing: the internet was not going to let her live this down.

Users were quick to point out how she didn’t seem to be onboard for what is seemingly a common sense stance from Bardem.

Her support for the BJP government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also brought up, especially in the context of its repression of India’s sizeable Muslim minority.

Chopra’s credentials as a goodwill ambassador for Unicef were also called into question for the umpteenth time. This has become a bit of a recurring theme after she was called out for promoting war between two nuclear-armed states and not saying nearly enough during Israel’s brutal war on Gaza. She shared one post on Instagram calling for a ceasefire and reshared a story another time, something many, many people think was the bare minimum.

Comparisons were drawn between Chopra’s support for the Indian military when it attacked Pakistan in 2019 and Israeli actor Gal Gadot, who is a staunch supporter of the Israeli Defence Forces.

Pakistani users — and even a few from India — refusing to waste an opportunity to make a meme out of the whole situation, began referring to the Indian actor as Daal Gadot.

What we don’t get is why she wasn’t prepared for Bardem — who is a very vocal anti-war and pro-Palestine advocate — to make a statement like the one he made on Sunday. And if nothing else, the actor could have at least schooled her features into an expression that was less uncomfortable.