ISLAMABAD: Three Pakistanis have made it on Forbes Asia’s inaugural 100 Digital Stars list, which highlights 100 singers, bands, and film and TV stars from across the Asia-Pacific region “who have taken the digital world by storm.”
The list, which is unranked, comes at an exceptional time when much of the region’s population is spending time isolated at home due to the coronavirus, relying on their screens for communication and entertainment.
“We’ve given special focus to celebrities who, despite canceled physical events and activities, managed to remain active and relevant, largely by using social media to interact with their fans, raise awareness and inspire optimism,” Forbes said on its website. “Many also used their influence to help worthy causes, especially those with a COVID-19 focus.”
The Pakistani stars on the list are actresses Mahira Khan, 35, and Aiman Khan, 21, and singer Atif Aslam, 37.
“Khan uses her social media presence— nearly 7 million Instagram followers and over 4 million on Facebook— to raise awareness about mental health issues, violence against women and breast cancer,” Forbes said about Mahira Khan.
On Atif Aslam, Forbes said: “Released in May, his song ‘Asma-ul-Husna,’ recites Allah’s 99 names to encourage hope during the pandemic, and has over 22 million views on YouTube. Aslam urged his 20 million Facebook followers to stay home to curb the spread of the coronavirus.”
Actress Aiman Khan, with nearly 8 million followers, is the most-followed Pakistani celebrity on Instagram.
She and twin sister Minal run the clothing site Aiman Minal Closet, with 249,000 Instagram followers. Last year, she was nominated for Best Actress at Pakistan’s Hum Awards for roles in TV shows Ishq Tamasha and Baandi.
Three Pakistanis make it on Forbes Asia’s inaugural 100 Digital Stars list
https://arab.news/2kezz
Three Pakistanis make it on Forbes Asia’s inaugural 100 Digital Stars list
- The Pakistani stars on the list, which is unranked, are actresses Mahira Khan and Aiman Khan and singer Atif Aslam
- List comes at a time when the region’s population is home due to COVID-19, relying on screens for communication and entertainment
Turkish agents capture senior Daesh member on Afghanistan-Pakistan border
- The Turkish citizen was allegedly tasked with suicide bombings in Turkiye, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Europe
- It was not clear when the operation took place or whether Afghan and Pakistani authorities were involved
ANKARA: Turkish intelligence agents have captured a senior member of the Daesh (Islamic State) group in an area along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, allegedly thwarting planned suicide attacks in Turkiye and elsewhere, Turkiye’s state-run news agency reported Monday.
Anadolu Agency said the suspect was identified as Mehmet Goren and a member of the group’s Afghanistan-based Daesh-Khorasan (IS-K) branch. He was caught in a covert operation and transferred to Turkiye.
It was not clear when the operation took place or whether Afghan and Pakistani authorities were involved.
The report said the Turkish citizen allegedly rose within the organization’s ranks and was given the task of carrying out suicide bombings in Turkiye, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Europe.
Daesh has carried out deadly attacks in Turkiye, including a shooting at an Istanbul night club on Jan. 1, 2017, which killed 39 people.
Monday’s report said Goren’s capture allegedly also exposed the group’s recruitment methods and provided intelligence on its planned activities.
