Celebrities

Juggun Kazim reflects on father’s murder

Actor and television host Juggun Kazim has described her father’s murder as the most frightening period of her life, revealing that although they never had a close relationship, she had hoped they would one day become best friends.

Appearing on a recent podcast, Kazim reflected on losing her father at the age of 21, the complicated nature of their relationship, and the lasting influence of the women who raised her. She also spoke about blended families, co-parenting and the importance of normalising second marriages.

Recalling the day she learned of her father’s death, Kazim said she was in New York when she received a phone call in the middle of the night.

“I was sleeping in New York at the time. My phone rang, and I don’t even remember who it was. The person said, ‘Dada has died.’ That’s what I used to call him. At that time, I was 21 years old,” she recalled.

Unable to believe the news, she initially assumed it was a prank.

“When I got that call, my reaction was, ‘Stop pranking me.’ When I called my sister, she wouldn’t pick up. There was no caller ID at the time; this was over 20 years ago. When someone finally picked up and told me he had died, I asked what had happened. They said he had been murdered.”

Kazim described the aftermath as the darkest chapter of her life.

“That period was the most painful and difficult time of my life. There were a lot of ups and downs, and many people in my life showed their true colours,” she said. “It was a really frightening time.”

Although her relationship with her father remained unresolved, Kazim said she never stopped hoping it would improve. “The problem is that before our relationship could be resolved, he passed away,” she said.

She recalled thinking of him years later while receiving the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz.

“I was standing there and spoke to him in my mind. I said, ‘I told you I was capable despite being called stupid and hyper, and despite your belief that women should stay at home.’ I was waiting to get older so I could explain all of this to him and tell him how my brain works. Maybe then we could have become best friends.”

Kazim also revealed that her father had been physically abusive during her childhood. “When I was little, my parents got divorced. I would stay with my dad on weekends and my mom during the week. My dad was very violent. He used to hit all of us a lot,” she said.

Despite those experiences, she said she had come to accept that her father, like everyone else, had both positive and negative qualities. “But in English they say, ‘You should not speak ill of the dead,'” she said.

“His violence was one part of him, but he was also friendly and loving. This happens. Every person has two sides. The side we saw wasn’t the one others saw. The world knew him as a great person.”

She added that she had always imagined rebuilding their relationship once she became independent.

“I always thought that once I was older and no longer dependent on him, I would become his friend. I had it all planned. Then he was gone. I thought, Dad is not here, my aunt is not here, and I have lost my grandmother. The people I was becoming successful for were gone.”

According to Kazim, many of the conflicts stemmed from her father’s traditional views on gender roles. “He believed women should behave a certain way. I was just a child who wanted to live. I wanted to climb trees and set off fireworks. I didn’t know how to be a girl or a boy.”

Kazim also spoke about her family life with husband Feisal Naqvi, saying she rejects the term “stepchildren” because of its negative associations. “I have two bonus babies. I don’t like the word ‘step’ because there are so many negative connotations attached to it. I love them. They’re awesome human beings. Dania is 28, Kamal is 25.”

She said her own children are Hamza, 20, Hassan, who is nine and turning 10, and Noor Bano, who will turn six in October.

Kazim also revealed that she shares a close friendship with Naqvi’s former wife, Aida, describing their relationship as an example of successful co-parenting.

“Aida and I are good friends. ‘Co-parenting’ is a big concept abroad. It’s about having a blended family,” she said. “When you separate, it shouldn’t affect the children.” “For me, when I married Feisal, I married Feisal, Dania, Kamal and, in a sense, his ex-wife too.”

The actor concluded by reflecting on the three women who had the greatest influence on her life: her grandmother, mother and aunt.

She said her late grandmother, who died when Kazim was nine, remained her biggest role model.

“She was a huge role model in my life. I was very attached to her, and she understood me even more than my own mother. If I ever left this world, I would want to be remembered with as much love and admiration as people remember her.”

Kazim currently hosts the morning show Morning at Home and continues to work as an actor, content creator and entrepreneur. She also runs the brands Nur by Juggun and Juggun’s Organics, and is known for her performances in dramas including Pani Jaisa Pyar, Vasl and, most recently, Agar.

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Firdous Jamal is a senior Pakistani television and film actor known for his dramas like Pyare Afzal, Khuda Aur Mohabbat, Waris, Manchalay Ka Sauda, Dehleez, Dhoop Deewar, Takmeel, Kaanch Kay Par, Anna, Nashaib, and many others. The senior actor often makes headlines for his controversial remarks about legendary actors.

Firdous Jamal recently appeared in an interview with the Click 10 Official YouTube channel, where he retracted his previous statement about Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

Firdous Jamal said, “I didn’t say anything against Shah Rukh Khan. I admire him; he’s a great actor and an extension of Dilip Kumar. Every actor has a school of thought. I belong to the Dilip Kumar school of thought. Actors like Shah Rukh Khan are different. Different actors take inspiration from different people, while I take inspiration from actors like Dilip Kumar, Muhammad Ali, Agha Talish, and Alauddin. An actor’s beginning and foundation involve learning from others. Man is a mimicry artist; from Adam till now, we have been copying and learning everything. It’s not a bad thing. Learning is a great skill; it’s not a negative thing. It’s the nature of man. Also, Mahira Khan is not my issue. Don’t make her my issue. Neither is she my wife nor a family member, so why are you dragging her into it? It’s good that people like her.”

Firdous Jamal had previously said that Shah Rukh Khan was not a good actor and that comparing the two did not make sense. He had criticized SRK’s pronunciation and diction and said that his physique was also not up to the mark. According to Firdous Jamal, Shah Rukh Khan is a far bigger star than he is an actor

Celebrities

Pakistani celebrities demand justice for toddler raped, murdered in Karachi

Pakistani celebrities have condemned the rape and murder of an 18-month-old child in Karachi’s Qayyumabad, calling for swift justice, stronger child protection measures and greater awareness of risks children may face from people within their homes and families.

From Frieha Altaf to Adnan Siddiqui and Sanam Baloch, several public figures shared messages of grief and outrage, urging authorities to ensure accountability while highlighting the need for increased vigilance to safeguard children.

Actor and host Frieha Altaf questioned the country’s unrelenting crime rate, saying “none of this is new news.” “I’m sick to my stomach. An 18-month-old child gets raped and murdered by a relative in Qayyumabad, Karachi. A truly heinous crime committed,” she wrote. She warned that many cases of child sexual abuse involve people known to the victim.

“Sadly, parents trust friends, neighbours, domestic staff with their young sons and daughters. The biggest percentage of child sexual abuse comes from people you know and trust! As a survivor of this abuse, and the goodwill ambassador of Sahil NGO, I urge all parents to take more care with such decisions. Also, if your child tells you of any such incident or inappropriate touching, please believe them. Children don’t lie!” she added.

Actor Adnan Siddiqui also shared his reaction on Instagram.

“How depraved have we become? An 18-month-old baby. Eighteen months. The accused is reportedly just 17. That doesn’t lessen the horror; it deepens it. Feeling disgusted and heartbroken. There are no words left. Only rage, grief and shame that we have come to this.”

He concluded by praying for “swift and uncompromising justice” for the child and strength for the grieving family.

PHOTO: adnansid1/Instagram

Screengrab: adnansid1/Instagram

Several other celebrities, including Aiman Khan, Mariyam Nafees, Ahsan Khan, Srha Asghar, Zhalay Sarhadi and Ayesha Omar, also shared messages expressing grief and demanding justice.

Celebrities

Rubina Ashraf Breaks Her Silence On The Reality Of Postpartum Depression

Rubina Ashraf is a veteran Pakistani television actress, director, and producer who has been a prominent figure in the entertainment industry since the 1980s. Her hit dramas include Pas-e-Aaina, Tapish, Kasak, Do Bol, Khuda Aur Muhabbat 3, Iqtidar, and others. She also directed the acclaimed serial Ruswai. In her personal life, Rubina is married to Tariq Mirza, and together they have two children: a son and a daughter, Nawal Tariq and Minna Tariq, who also followed in her mother’s footsteps and entered the showbiz industry as an actress.

Today, Rubina Ashraf was a guest on Good Morning Pakistan. During the show, she opened up about the reality of postpartum depression in women after pregnancy.

Talking about it, Rubina Ashraf said, “As a society and as a social setup, we need to understand that pregnancy, postpartum, and pregnancy blues are real. No one knew about these things because there was no concept of them. The story ran for years that it is the job of every woman to give birth to children and that it is something normal, no matter how difficult it was for them or how they individually dealt with it. But now, people need to understand that when a girl is pregnant, her skin, body, and everything else is changing. Despite the happiness, she can suffer from anxiety, which is very real. If she is not taken care of and looked after, she can go into a really bad state of depression. The support and compassion of a husband are important from pregnancy to postpartum because it is a difficult time for a woman. You need care because it can become impossible for you to manage multiple tasks during pregnancy.”