PESHAWAR: A popular woman TV and film actress was shot dead in northwestern Pakistan this week, police and family said on Tuesday, the latest attack against female performers in a conservative region once known for Pashto language cinema.
Pollywood once thrived in Pakistan’s northwestern frontier town of Peshawar but is now confined to a handful of theaters that haven’t been attacked by militants. Actors and musicians have been targeted both by militants and family members who deem their choice of profession un-Islamic and vulgar.
According to data collected by Waqar Ali Shah, a leading Pashto poet who tracks violence against musicians, at least 18 artists – most of them women – have been killed in the past 10 years in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The latest murder took place within the jurisdiction of Nowshera, a district on the periphery of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Police officer Arishullah Khan told Arab News police received a phone call that a dead body had been dumped in the jurisdiction of the Akbar Pura Police Station in Nowshera.
“A police party was dispatched to recover the body, which was later identified as that of the actress Khushboo,” the police officer said, naming the actress who was known only by one name.
Khushboo’s brother Shehryar Khan told Arab News his sister was killed by a local “gangster and smuggler” who she had accompanied to a function on Monday.
“However, an hour later Shaukat Khan [suspect] in a telephone call informed us to collect her dead body,” Khan said. “My sister was subjected to acute torture with her finger nails pulled out and her hands tied behind her back.”
Khan said Khusboo had been strangled and then shot dead. Police said a complaint had been against two individuals named by the family. No arrests have so far been made.
Rashed Khan, the president of the KP Hunari Tolana, an organization that works for the welfare of artists, told Arab News frequent acts of violence were discouraging emerging artists.
“We vehemently condemned the latest killing of an artist,” he said. “We want the government to establish its writ and arrest her killers without employing any delay tactics.”
“The environment is extremely stifling for artists, musicians and singers in this region,” Shah, the poet who tracks violence against artists, said. “There is dire fear of attacks from militants and relatives among performers.”
Threats continue to loom for performers in northwest Pakistan as popular actress shot dead
https://arab.news/wecw6
Threats continue to loom for performers in northwest Pakistan as popular actress shot dead
- Pashto actress Khushboo’s body found in a field, police investigating but no arrests made
- 18 artists, most of them women, killed in the past 10 years in northwestern Pakistan region
Pakistan, China to sign multiple MoUs at major agriculture investment conference today
- Hundreds of Chinese and Pakistani firms to attend Islamabad event
- Conference seen as part of expanding CPEC ties into agriculture, trade
KARACHI: Islamabad and Beijing are set to sign multiple memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to boost agricultural investment and cooperation at a major conference taking place in the capital today, Monday, with hundreds of Chinese and Pakistani companies expected to participate.
The conference is being billed by Pakistan’s Ministry of National Food Security and Research as a platform for deepening bilateral agricultural ties and supporting broader economic engagement between the two countries.
“Multiple memorandums of understanding will be signed at the Pakistan–China Agricultural Conference,” the Ministry of National Food Security said in a statement. “115 Chinese and 165 Pakistani companies will participate.”
The conference reflects a growing emphasis on expanding Pakistan-China economic cooperation beyond the transport and energy foundations of the flagship China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into agriculture, industry and technology.
Under its first phase launched in 2015, CPEC, a core component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, focused primarily on transportation infrastructure, energy generation and connectivity projects linking western China to the Arabian Sea via Pakistan. That phase included motorways, power plants and the development of the Gwadar Port in the country's southwest, aimed at helping Pakistan address chronic power shortages and enhance transport connectivity.
In recent years, both governments have formally moved toward a “CPEC 2.0” phase aimed at diversifying the corridor’s impact into areas such as special economic zones, innovation, digital cooperation and agriculture. Second-phase discussions have highlighted Pakistan’s goal of modernizing its agricultural sector, attracting Chinese technology and investment, and boosting export potential, with high-level talks taking place between planning officials and investors in Beijing.
Agri-sector cooperation has also seen practical collaboration, with joint initiatives examining technology transfer, export protocols and value-chain development, including partnerships in livestock, mechanization and horticulture.
Organizers say the Islamabad conference will bring together government policymakers, private sector investors, industry associations and multinational agribusiness firms from both nations. Discussions will center on investment opportunities, technology adoption, export expansion and building linkages with global buyers within the framework of Pakistan-China economic cooperation.
