We are no strangers to the name Mahira Khan, nor are we oblivious to the prestige that the BBC name carries. Upon releasing 2020’s 100 Most Infuencial Women’s list, a BBC representative stated, “In a year of incredible change, it is only fitting that we acknowledge the female leaders who have helped us weather the storm.”
Their reasoning for shortlisting Mahira Khan for this prestigious honor was stated to be that, “she speaks up about the causes and issues that matter to encourage change. Khan is no ordinary actor – she is outspoken against sexual violence, refuses to endorse skin-lightening creams and supports the fight against racism,” claimed BBC. It went on to relay the Bin Roye star’s determination to “tackle social issues in her native Pakistan by changing the narrative in films and on TV.”
Moreover, BBC recalled how Khan is a national Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, who is “raising awareness about the plight of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.”
“She’s been a firm favorite with audiences ever since starting out as an MTV video jockey (VJ) in 2006. Khan is also a devoted mother to her 11-year-old son,” it concluded.
Previously, as the UNHCR’s Goodwill Ambassador for Pakistan, Khan shared a video message featuring celebs world over, to voice the plight of refugees everywhere. “We’re proud to speak up for refugees everywhere,” she said. “We all have a part to play in helping somebody else., including me. What will yours be?”
“Every action counts. Every voice counts.” she wrote in the caption for her post.
Hollywood celebrities such as Riz Ahmed, Cate Blanchett, Ben Stiller and Benedict Cumberbatch spoke up for the cause in the same video as Mahira Khan’s. On World Refugee Day, in an attempt to bring forth global awareness to the plight of refugees all over the world, Khan voiced her narrative by talking about Pakistan’s role in accommodating millions of Afghan refugees. “They’ve been denied a home, but we haven’t denied them hope,” Mahira tweeted. “Pakistan has been hosting millions of Afghan refugees over several years and continues to do so, we have given them a home within our motherland,” she continued.
“When the refugees of Makkah were welcomed by the Ansar of Medina with an open heart, the tradition of brotherhood and solidarity came alive,” the superstar remarked in another video. “To this day, the nation has kept these traditions alive.”
