Mahira, Fawad Khan reunite as Pakistan’s long-delayed ‘Neelofar’ set for Nov. 28 global release
Mahira, Fawad Khan reunite as Pakistan’s long-delayed ‘Neelofar’ set for Nov. 28 global release/node/2618414/pakistan
Mahira, Fawad Khan reunite as Pakistan’s long-delayed ‘Neelofar’ set for Nov. 28 global release
The photograph shared on August 21, 2023, shows star Pakistani actors Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan posing for a photo shoot. (Instagram/@fawadkhan81/File)
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani romantic drama movie, ‘Neelofar,’ is finally set for worldwide release this winter season, with its official poster launched this week.
The long-delayed movie, which stars Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan in lead roles, is written and directed by Ammar Rasool and produced by Usaf Shariq.
The poster, released this week on Facebook, Instagram and elsewhere, showed the two lead actors together and contained an animation, which opens with Fawad saying, “’Neelofar naam hai uska’ (Her name is Neelofar).”
“In cinemas worldwide — 28th November. Save the date!” read the post on the movie’s official Facebook page.
Shooting for the move was reportedly completed in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic postponed its release indefinitely.
Khan and Mahira won the hearts with their performance in television serial ‘Humsafar.’ They later reunited in Bilal Lashari’s ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ which shattered all box office records.
The duo is anticipated to once again create magic with their on-screen chemistry.
The cast of the movie includes, Madiha Imam, Sarwat Gilani, Atiqa Odho, Behrooz Sabzwari, Gohar Rasheed, Faisal Qureshi, Samiya Mumtaz, Rashid Farooqui, Chand Baral, Seemi Raheal, Adeel Hashmi, Hira Tareen and Navid Shahzad.
PESHAWAR: Two suspected militants, including an alleged mastermind behind attacks on Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel, were killed in an intelligence-based operation in Pakistan’s restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, police said on Friday.
KP police and CTD personnel carried out the operation in the Domel area of Bannu district following an intelligence tip-off about the presence of militants who were wanted in several “terrorism” cases.
Pakistan has struggled to contain a surge in militancy in KP in recent years. Militant groups such as the Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have frequently targeted convoys of security forces, police stations and check-posts besides kidnapping government officials in the region.
“Among those killed was Rashideen alias Malang Yar, the mastermind behind the attack that martyred four brave CTD personnel,” the police said in a statement on Friday.
“A large cache of weapons, hand grenades and identification cards of the banned organization were recovered from the possession of the slain terrorists.”
Aamir Khan, a police spokesman, told Arab News that the four CTD officers were killed in separate attacks by militants in the Bannu district this year.
The police also conducted a search operation in the area to capture any other militants.
Militant attacks across KP have surged since November 2022 when a fragile truce between the TTP and the Pakistani government collapsed.
Earlier in September, a suspected militant commander wanted for bomb attacks and targeted killings of policemen was also killed in an intelligence-based operation in the Lakki Marwat district of KP.
At least 75 policemen were killed in ambushes and targeted attacks in KP last year, according to police data.
Islamabad has frequently accused India of backing militant groups and Afghanistan of permitting the use of its soil for attacks in Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi deny the allegation.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is aiming to secure an early staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is set to depart for Washington this week, seeking approval for reviews of the country’s $8.4 billion loans.
Pakistan secured a $7 billion, 37-month Extended Fund Facility in Sept. last year, followed by a $1.4 billion, 28-month Resilience and Sustainability Facility in May, to bankroll its economy.
The IMF this week said the two sides have made “significant progress” toward a staff-level agreement on reviews of the South Asian country’s $8.4 loans, the lender said late Wednesday.
Pakistan’s program implementation remained strong and broadly aligned with commitments, while progress was made in discussions on fiscal consolidation to strengthen public finances, according to the lender.
“The minister reaffirmed that talks with the IMF mission remain constructive, with only a few outstanding issues, and expressed optimism about reaching a staff-level agreement shortly during his upcoming meetings in Washington,” the Pakistani finance ministry said, following Aurangzeb’s virtual meeting with a Saudi business delegation.
On the domestic front, the minister said, the government is finalizing rapid damage assessments following recent floods and will prioritize the use of domestic resources for rescue and relief operations, before considering external assistance for rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Pakistan’s recent floods, triggered by heavy monsoon rains and India’s release of excess water, have killed more than 1,037 people and affected another over 4 million, besides damaging standing crops, homes and road network. The government has initially estimated the losses at Rs370 billion ($1.31 billion), though a detailed assessment has yet to be made.
This week, the World Bank projected Pakistan’s economy to grow by 2.6 percent in the ongoing fiscal year that began in July, lowering its earlier estimate due to the recent monsoon floods.
On Thursday, the IMF said its officials would continue policy discussions with Pakistani authorities with a view to settling any outstanding issues.
“The IMF team wants to express its sympathy to those affected by the recent floods, and is grateful to the Pakistani authorities, private sector, and development partners for many fruitful discussions,” the lender said as its mission completed its two-week visit to Pakistan.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s finance minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, on Friday held virtual talks with a Saudi business delegation, currently on a visit to Pakistan, highlighting the country’s economic reforms and investment opportunities it offered to investors.
A 16-member Saudi delegation, led by Prince Mansour bin Mohammed bin Saad Al-Saud, is currently visiting Pakistan amid efforts from the two countries to boost economic cooperation.
The delegation, which arrived late Tuesday, held a series of meetings with federal ministers and received detailed presentations from the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and Pakistani firms.
On Friday, Aurangzeb held a virtual meeting with Saudi delegates as well as members of the Pakistan Business Council and the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry (OICCI).
“The visit of the Saudi delegation is very timely,” the minister said, adding his government would make sure “our existing investors also work in a good environment, and we don’t go through the boom-and-bust [like] in the previous years.”
Aurangzeb pointed out agriculture, mining, information technology (IT), pharmaceutical and tourism as some of the areas of mutual interest. He said there are two areas which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is leading himself in and take stock on a weekly basis.
“One is our taxation reform, and everything that is going on in terms of people, process, technology, to get the sort of the fiscal side of things moving forward,” he said.
“The second one... is our digital journey and moving toward cashless economy, because both of these are actually interrelated.”
The finance minister urged the Saudi business delegation to explore opportunities in these and other sectors of Pakistan’s $411 billion economy.
The development came a day after the visiting Saudi business delegation signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to strengthen investment in Karachi’s energy sector as Riyadh seeks deeper economic engagement with Pakistan under its Vision 2030 initiative.
The delegation, led by Prince Mansour who is the chairman of the Saudi-Pakistan Joint Business Council, finalized a share-sale agreement in KES Power Limited and a cooperation framework between K-Electric and Trident Energy Limited to explore new investment in Pakistan’s power and infrastructure markets.
Pakistan and ֱ have close religious, cultural, diplomatic and strategic ties, particularly in trade and defense. Last year, the two countries signed 34 agreements worth nearly $3 billion, of which, memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth $700 million have already entered the implementation stage, according to Pakistani officials.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces have killed 30 militants involved in an ambush that killed 11 soldiers this week near the Afghan border, the Pakistani army said on Friday.
The soldiers were killed in an overnight gunbattle in Orakzai district, which also killed 19 militants, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army’s media wing.
It said security forces have been conducting a series of “retribution operations” against the Pakistani Taliban militants involved in heinous incident that occurred in the Orakzai district.
During the conduct of an operation in Orakzai’s Jamal Maya area, 30 Pakistani Taliban militants involved in the Oct. 7 incident were killed after intense fire exchange.
“These successful operations have avenged the heinous act and have brought the main perpetrators to justice,” the ISPR said. “Sanitization operations are being conducted to hunt and eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharji (militant) found in the area.”
The Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and other militant groups have frequently targeted security forces convoys and check-posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.
Islamabad has frequently accused Afghanistan of allowing the use of its soil and India of backing militant groups for attacks against Pakistan. Kabul and New Delhi both deny the allegation.
On Thursday, another Pakistan army major and seven militants were killed in a gunbattle in Dera Ismail Khan in northwest Pakistan, according to the ISPR.
Pakistan’s northwestern tribal regions turned into militant hotspots after the US invasion of Afghanistan in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Islamabad launched multiple military operations over the last two decades to push away militants but they have managed to regroup and the threat has persisted in the rugged, mountainous region.
ISLAMABAD: When Arshia Akhtar first stepped onto a karting track in Riyadh as a child, she had no idea it would lead her to professional racing.
Nearly two decades later, she has become the first Pakistani woman to receive a professional license from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) — motorsport’s global governing body — a milestone that places her among the few women competing internationally in formula racing.
Born in Lahore and raised in ֱ, Akhtar moved to the United States in 2017, where she now works full-time in clinical research while pursuing her motorsport ambitions.
“My mom and my sister, they don’t even have a driver’s license,” she told Arab News in an online interview from Texas. “It has always been my dad and I who are more sports-oriented.”
Akhtar first tried karting at age 11 and returned to it in her teens before transitioning to competitive circuits. She has since raced in the Formula Race Promotions Series and the F4 US Championship, both featuring international drivers.
Pakistani motorsport driver Arshia Akhtar in action during the Formula Race at Road America in Wisconsin, US, on June 27, 2025. (Arshia Akhtar)
Robert Wright, owner of Formula Race Promotions, said Akhtar began competing with their team in early 2025 and showed steady improvement throughout the season.
“Her progress through the season was steady and rewarded her with fourth place in the season points standings,” he said, adding that plans are already underway to further her skills and experience in 2026.
Securing a professional license from the FIA was a demanding process. As a Pakistani woman entering a sport still dominated by men and the West, Akhtar said much of her journey involved learning through trial and error.
She spent months studying regulations, car specifications and race categories while building a resumé that met FIA standards.
“When you’re the first one doing something, you’re figuring it out as you go,” she said.
Akhtar currently holds a Grade C FIA license and is working toward Grade B, a step closer to the elite “super license.”
“Every time I race in the championship, I gain points,” she explained. “You only gain points if you’re in the top ten. You need to build up to a certain number to even qualify for a super license.”
The photograph shared on July 2, 2025, shows Pakistani motorsport driver Arshia Akhtar with her 7-month-old puppy, Ezra, during a test day drive at MSR Houston in Texas, US. (Arshia Akhtar)
Currently, she is competing in Formula E, a category of high-speed electric racing that tests drivers’ reflexes, technical precision and strategy.
Her coach, professional driver Nathan Byrd, described her as “a fast learner with a good attitude, taking all of my feedback well and then immediately executing on-track.”
‘ADRENALINE JUNKIE’
Beyond the racetrack, Akhtar juggles a demanding schedule.
“I wake up early, check emails, handle racing or sponsorship calls and then start my research job by 7:30,” she said. “After work, I take my dogs to the park, work out, practice on the simulator and sometimes I’m working till late.”
Despite the sport’s high costs, Akhtar continues to self-fund her career.
Women remain vastly underrepresented in motorsport. A 2023 study by More Than Equal, an initiative by former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard and entrepreneur Karel Komárek, found that women make up just around 10 percent of global participants.
Against that backdrop, Akhtar’s progress marks both a national milestone and a personal test of endurance. She said she often races on unfamiliar tracks against seasoned competitors.
“Every time I go on a track, that’s my first time on that track, while other people I’m competing against have been there at least 10 or 12 times,” she said.
Arshia Akhtar is having a chat with race engineer Angelo Zarra at Road Atlanta Raceway in Hall County, Georgia, US, on March 20, 2025. (Arshia Akhtar)
To prepare, she spends hours in simulation and track analysis, though she admits that practice can’t replace real racing.
“Once you are on track, the execution part kind of includes dealing with things that are changing,” she said.
Away from motorsport, Akhtar describes herself as an “adrenaline junkie.” She has competed in equestrian events in the US, earning several podium finishes, and enjoys snowboarding, skydiving, and scuba diving.
“My family has just accepted the fact that I’m the weird kid,” she laughed.
Akhtar also excelled academically, staying on the dean’s list and publishing in scientific journals. Now, she hopes her example will inspire more Pakistani women to explore motorsport, not just as drivers, but also in engineering, management and technical roles.
“We make our own norms,” she said. “If you truly believe that something should be normal and you do it... then it will become normal.”
