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She’s an icon, she’s a legend, and she is the moment. Pakistan’s favourite actor Mahira Khan was honoured by the British House of Parliament for her “remarkable contributions to global cinema and her role as a cultural ambassador”.

The award ceremony, held in the House of Commons, was hosted by Member of Parliament Afzal Khan and supported by cross-party parliamentarians, recognising Khan’s impact on cultural exchange and women’s empowerment, Geo News reported.

During her speech, Khan said she usually humbly accepted all adjectives attached to her name when she was honoured with an award, except when people called her self-made. “My heart disagrees with it.”

The Humsafar actor spoke about her childhood, being raised by working parents who believed in equal education for both her and her brother.

“I remember the people who inspired me. I remember my English teacher who said, ‘I will see you in the UN one day’, little did she know I was thinking, I’ll see you in the cinemas one day. But she believed in me.” Khan added that many laughed at her when she expressed her desire to act, but for every person who laughed there was a friend who supported her.

She continued that when she began working in the entertainment industry, people believed her journey wouldn’t be easy and while there was successes, there were very “low lows” during which she thought of the people who supported her.

“I think of my first commercial film director who till date is my biggest cheerleader, I think about a legendary actress, or TV channel owner who till date celebrates my successes. When I think about myself I think, yes God has put me in this position but I am definitely not self-made.”

Khan maintained that she stood on the shoulders of her teachers, mentors, parents, family, friends, colleagues, fans, and the kindness of strangers.

Addressing the room, she stated that everyone present was chosen, placing them in a position of power and therefore able to make a change. “Today, I sit here because someone decided that we should honour her, tomorrow it will be someone else. We have to open doors, we have to make it possible for girls to actually dream and achieve those dreams — whether there is fair representation in all works of life, whether we talk about gender equality whether we talk about raising awareness — we all have been chosen and we must act on it.”

Khan said women should teach their daughters and other women to applaud someone if they are successful, not to pull them down when there are problems or failures.

“With our boys, fathers, brothers, we must teach them how to be allies to women because together we can empower women,” she said, recalling that her own brother supported her and ferociously took care of her name.

The Bol actor also shared a picture of the award to her Instagram story, stating she was “so, so grateful”.

The inscription on her award stated, “Through her artistic talent and dedication, she has brought exceptional stories to life, captivating audiences around the world and fostering deeper cultural understanding.”

The recognition celebrated her “achievements and the lasting impact of her work in the arts, honouring her as a distinguished icon in the world of entertainment.”