Arooj Aftab makes history by becoming first ever Pakistani to make the Coachella cut

Musician Arooj Aftab (2nd from R) performs at Grote Zaal of TivoliVredenburg in Netherlands on Nov 12, 2021. (Photo courtesy: Social Media)
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Updated 14 January 2022
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Arooj Aftab makes history by becoming first ever Pakistani to make the Coachella cut

  • The Pakistani vocalist will feature in the prestigious music festival alongside Kanye West, Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion and other big names
  • Aftab was nominated for two Grammy Awards last year, making her the first Pakistani to achieve the milestone

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab has been on the roll since last year. After making headlines in her country of origin and other parts of the world for her two Grammy nominations, Aftab has now made history by becoming the first Pakistani who has been asked to perform at the prestigious Coachella festival.
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is an annual rock festival that is held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the United States and brings together top musicians from around the world.
This year, the event will begin on Friday, April 15, and end on Sunday, April 24.
“See you Coachella both weekends and I am ready to partyyyyy,” wrote Aftab in an Instagram post that she shared on Thursday. She also shared an image of the names of musicians that will be taking part in the festival.

Rapper Kanye West, global pop sensations Billie Eilish, Harry Styles and Swedish House Mafia will also headline the event this year.
The music festival was supposed to be held in March 2020 but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Organizers of the event attempted to get the festival back on track by October 2020, but the pandemic prevented it from happening.
It was the first time that Coachella was canceled in over 20 years.
The music festival was finally pushed to April 2021 after it was canceled in January last year due to the COVID-19 restrictions.
Aftab’s most acclaimed song, “Mohabbat,” grabbed international headlines when it was found on former US president Barack Obama’s playlist.
The song is part of her third album, Vulture Prince, which was released last year.
 

 


Pakistan, Oman navies discuss maritime security, ink agreement to share shipping data

Updated 24 December 2025
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Pakistan, Oman navies discuss maritime security, ink agreement to share shipping data

  • Visiting Oman royal navy commander calls on Pakistan Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf in Islamabad
  • White shipping agreement refers to exchange of prior information on movement of commercial ships

ISLAMABAD: The naval commanders of Pakistan and Oman discussed regional maritime security on Wednesday and signed an agreement to share shipping information with each other, the Pakistan Navy said in a statement.

The press release followed a meeting between Pakistan Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf and the visiting Oman Royal Navy Commander Rear Admiral Saif Bin Nasser Bin Mohsin Al Rahbi at Naval Headquarters in Islamabad.

Both navies maintain close professional relations, reflected in expert-level staff talks, joint training, bilateral exercises, and participation in multilateral exercises between the Pakistan Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman.

“During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional maritime security and bilateral naval cooperation were discussed,” the Pakistan Navy said.

The MoU was signed by both sides at a ceremony at the Naval Headquarters, the navy’s media wing confirmed. 

“The MoU is aimed at establishing of guidelines and procedures for information sharing in order to enhance mutual awareness of white shipping,” the Pakistan Navy said in a statement. 

White shipping agreement refers to the exchange of prior information on the movement and identity of commercial non-military merchant vessels.

Information regarding the identity of vessels helps countries tackle potential threats from sea routes. This particularly helps in the development of a proper regional maritime domain awareness

The statement said Al Rahbi lauded Pakistan Navy’s professionalism and acknowledged its ongoing contributions to maritime security and regional stability.

Pakistan and Oman share geographical proximity and common maritime boundaries. Bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries span a wide range of areas, including economic cooperation, people-to-people contacts and strong defense ties.

In December, a Royal Navy flotilla from Oman visited Karachi to take part in the annual bilateral Thamar Al Tayyib (TAT) 2025 exercise. 

Pakistan Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman have been conducting the TAT series of exercises regularly since 1980.