Remembering the comic genius that was Moin Akhtar
On the 15th anniversary of his death, we revisit an obituary written by Nadeem Farooq Paracha.
Every year, we do a recap of our most-read stories, and without fail, every year, we‘re disappointed that some of our favourite pieces aren’t on the list. This year, we decided to compile a list of 20 stories we were very proud of in 2025 and think you should be reading.
From stories covering health and food to commentary on mental health or society’s toxic way of processing tragedies, our offerings in 2025 were quite diverse.
By Fizza Abbas | Published March 8
We‘re starting off strong with a list of 18 strong women in Pakistani dramas that we published on International Women’s Day, women who stood their ground, fought against societal pressures, and inspired us with their strength.
By Dhuha Alvi | Published March 10
A blistering answer to one of the most irritating questions online — wHeRe aRe aLl ThE fEmInIsTs nOw? — this article explores selective outrage, the evolution of the feminist movements and the oft-repeated criticism that surfaces every time an act of violence occurs and people want someone to blame who isn’t an authority figure in a position of power. You know how it goes.
By Images Staff | Published March 19
One of our favourite pieces this year was on Danish Taimoor and filhaal — the word that started a firestorm in the country. This piece explored his unfortunate choice of words and the idea of a man threatened by the success of his wife who felt the need to put her down on national TV.
By Asfa Sultan | Published March 22
In March we did a story on seven women shaping the future of Pakistan‘s music industry and spoke to them about mansplaining and the challenges they face in an industry where there aren’t as many women as there should be.
By Mashael Shah | Published March 28
March was our month of celebrating women so we also did a profile of some of the funniest Pakistani women out there and spoke to them about the comedy scene, the way audiences perceive female comedians and the challenges they face.
By Iqra Shagufta Cheema | Published May 14
This one was on our most-read list this year, but we‘re still including it here because it’s important. The weaponisation of feminism in Operation Sindoor was something we discussed a lot this year because we saw how feminist causes — mainly representation — were being coopted by people who couldn’t care less about how many women are in the military or about including women in decision-making processes. As part of India’s Operation Sindoor, two women were made the face of the military aspect of the operation, while the image of a young woman sitting stoically by the body of her husband who was killed in the Pahalgam attack became the symbol of the attack. The operation tried to create an affiliation, one based on emotion, between Hindu women’s lives and the Indian military’s operation, capitalising on women’s emotional attachments and familial investments to use them to promote war, which, as history shows us, hurts both women’s emotional well-being and family stability.
By Kamran Khamiso Khowaja | Published May 15
In this piece we explored how a song by celebrated artiste Sanam Marvi became an anthem for people protesting against the controversial canal project. Her song, ‘Jug Jug Jeando Rahano, Sindhu Wahando Rahando’ (The Indus River shall survive forever, it shall flow forever), stemmed from a poem of the same name by renowned poet Dr Ishaq Samejo. Its creators might have hoped for its popularity, but its overwhelming reach far exceeded their expectations.
By Rida Hosain | Published May 29
A very important story we did this year was on the verdict in the Noor Mukadam case and how even rare victories for women are tempered by the dark cloud of sexism. This article examines remarks made during the course of the proceedings about “live-in relationships”, the ‘perfect victim’, and the duty members of the judiciary have to be gender sensitive in their comments.
By Siham Basir | Published June 4
One of the most heartbreaking stories we covered in 2025 was the murder of a 17-year-old girl named Sana Yousaf. The young girl was killed for refusing the advances of a man and her murder was met with cheers by some people — mainly men — who believed she deserved what happened to her because she posted videos on TikTok.
By Yumna Khan | Published June 16
Another very important story we did in 2025 was on vapes — something we like to call adult pacifiers — and just how bad they are for you and all the young kids that smoke them like they‘re candy. All those fun, fruity flavours are a pretty big problem.
By Bazigah Murad | Published June 19
With the rising use of AI tools comes another challenge — people using AI chatbots in place of therapists or friends. This piece explored the rising phenomenon of people turning to AI to unload their problems, sometimes to their own detriment.
By Images Staff | Published July 10
Another tragedy to emerge in 2025 was the death of actor and model Humaira Asghar Ali. Her body was discovered in her apartment months after she died and no one sounded the alarm or appeared to have checked up on her. What followed was a wave of public grief, intense speculation, and disturbing opportunism, all tied up with a distinct lack of sensitivity or care.
By Sameen Shahab | Published July 11
Mental illness as a punishment for bad behaviour is a tired trope in Pakistani dramas that needs to have been retired already. The narrative choice points to drama writers either having no understanding of mental illness or dangerously conflating it with morality — both of which are a problem. In this piece, we explored the narrative and the many ways it has been portrayed on Pakistani television.
By Zunaira Badar Jalali | Published July 26
In a world buzzing with information and graphic visuals, teenagers are getting the short end of the stick — chronically online and dealing with an information overload they can barely handle. In many cases, that has resulted in a fatigue that is desensitising these teens to the world around them and the information they’re consuming.
By Yumna Khan | Published September 1
Also very important was a story on the HPV vaccination drive and how the vaccine protects young girls against cervical cancer. In a country where trust in vaccinations is low and, to be honest, government efforts to provide quality healthcare aren’t always what they should be, the campaign was a great initiative.
By Asfa Sultan | Published October 7
2025 was a year of many celebrities finally awakening to the genocide in Gaza and talking about it — albeit in some of the tamest ways. This piece, published on October 7, explored celebrity response to the war on Gaza and whether it was too late for the stars to finally pull their heads out of the sand.
By Abeer Mahar | Published October 16
2025 was also the year we published on a story on going back to our roots and eating the way our ancestors did, long before our colonial overlords convinced us white bread was the only carb worth having. This piece explored the many alternatives to wheat rotis and how going back to our culinary roots is actually good for us.
By Images Editorial | Published November 21
When Roma Riaz took to the Miss Universe stage in Thailand to represent Pakistan, people had a lot to say. They commented on her weight and her skin colour, claiming she didn‘t ’represent‘ Pakistan well enough. That spiralled into discourse on just who gets to represent Pakistan and who gets to decide who is ‘Pakistani enough’.
By Moiz Majeed Magsi | Published November 25
The year ended with Talha Anjum’s patriotism being questioned for raising an Indian flag handed to him by a fan at a concert in Nepal. Much of the criticism featured patriotism à la India — the kind that comes in roars and shouts, especially from certain TV show hosts. This piece explored the aggressive reaction from some quarters and why Anjum’s act was, ultimately, an invitation: to think, to reflect, and to choose empathy over hostility.
By Sabrina Haider | Published December 6
The final article on this list is one about hypernormalisation — when we pretend everything’s okay even though the world is on fire. This piece explored the concept of hypernormalisation and how it impacts the way we act, specifically whether we have become inable to imagine a different kind of world.
Happy reading!