Interviews

Khalilur Rehman Reveals Talk show Clash on ‘Taghoot’ was Scripted

Pakistani screenwriter and poet Khalilur-Rehman Qamar has made a startling claim regarding last year’s viral “Taghoot scandal,” stating that the controversial talk show confrontation was “pre-planned” and not spontaneous.

Speaking on a podcast this week, Qamar alleged that the televised clash between Islamic scholar Saahil Adeem and a female guest was orchestrated for dramatic effect.

The episode, aired in June 2024, had sparked nationwide debate over gender roles, religious authority, and freedom of expression.

Qamar claimed that the show’s producers intentionally staged the conflict to provoke public outrage and media attention. “It wasn’t an accident. The narrative was scripted to reach a certain climax,” he said.

According to Qamar, as soon as Saahil Adeem referred to women as ignorant, he was about to intervene to clarify that ignorance is not exclusive to women — he considers anyone who hasn’t read the Holy Quran with translation, whether male or female, to be ignorant.

However, before he could speak, a female participant interrupted, and the direction of the discussion took a sharp turn.

Khalilur-Rehman Qamar also expressed his astonishment at the woman’s demand for an apology from a scholar like Saahil Adeem.

In his view, everyone makes mistakes, but what triggered his anger was the perceived disrespect.

He stated that the entire incident clearly shows the producers’ intention was to create provocation and extract a specific type of reaction — and that they succeeded in doing so.

The programme, aired in June last year, featured Saahil Adeem making harsh remarks about women.

He claimed that if 100 women were surveyed, he would find 95% to be ignorant, obsessed only with makeup and TikTok, and unaware of fundamental Islamic concepts such as “Taghoot”.

In response, a participant named Azbah Abdullah protested against his statements and demanded an apology.

The situation quickly escalated into a heated exchange. Adeem questioned whether the young woman even knew the meaning of “Taghoot”. When she admitted she didn’t, he declared that this was precisely what ignorance was — and that she should accept it.

The argument didn’t stop there. The woman countered that the reason many women are deprived of knowledge is due to a patriarchal society, but Saahil Adeem disagreed, insisting that calling out ignorance is a religious obligation.

During the heated discussion, Qamar also lost his composure. He expressed anger at the young woman, stating that if listening to Arabic verses was painful for her, it was unacceptable. He then asked the host to cut her microphone — a moment that intensified the controversy.

The episode quickly went viral on social media. Now, nearly a year later, Qamar’s revelation that the entire incident was “scripted.”

Also Read: Iffat Omar Defends Khalilur Rehman in Video Scandal

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Interviews

Mahira Khan talks Netflix debut, global career with CNN

Pakistani star Mahira Khan recently sat down with CNN’s Kristie Lu Stout for an interview, where she opened up about her Netflix debut and her journey to becoming a global figure.

Describing her outlook for the new year as a “wholesome surprise,” Khan reflected on her formative years working retail in California and how those experiences shaped her.

Mahira

She also emphasized her humanitarian work as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, advocating for Afghan refugees, women’s rights, and mental health awareness.

Khan’s career is marked by both artistic and advocacy milestones. From her rise as a beloved actress in Pakistan to her groundbreaking entry on Netflix, she has consistently broken barriers.

In 2024, she received a lifetime achievement award from the UK Parliament for her contributions to cinema and gender equality. She has also spoken publicly on diplomatic issues, notably addressing the ban on Pakistani artists in India in mid-2025 by affirming that art should build bridges, not walls.

Interviews

Dr Nabiha Ali Khan Reveals Why She Stopped Covering Her Head

Dr Nabiha Ali Khan is a highly popular and sensational digital media personality who first gained attention through her podcasts as a clinical psychologist. Her controversial statements on women’s behaviour went viral on social media and sparked backlash. On November 7th, Dr Nabiha Ali Khan married Haris Khokhar, her long-time colleague. She was previously widowed and is a mother of one son.

Recently, Dr Nabiha Ali Khan appeared on Naeem Hanif’s podcast, where she revealed why she stopped wearing a dupatta, which was once an integral part of her attire.

Talking about it, Dr Nabiha Ali Khan said, “I once broke the teeth of a boy who grabbed my dupatta. Often people ask why I don’t wear a dupatta — there is a reason behind it. I used to go to my job wearing shalwar qameez; I used to cover my head and offer prayers five times a day, including Tahajjud. My mother was a veiled woman — no one had ever seen her face. From my father’s side, we are Pakhtoon, and from my mother’s side, we are Syed. Both families are modest; we weren’t allowed to come on media. None of my cousins or siblings ever appeared on TV. They are married and live a private and modest life. I came to the media because of the financial burden after my father’s death. One day, I was coming back from the office when a boy on a bike grabbed my dupatta from behind and pulled it. I was all alone, standing on the road without a dupatta. I was shocked. I looked back and slapped him, and two of his teeth broke — his mouth was bleeding. He called the police. Do you know breaking someone’s teeth is a punishable act? Yes, one thing I did at that time was recite ‘Ya Ali Madad,’ and it gave me strength.”

Interviews

Frieha Altaf About Struggles of Men As Bread Winners

Frieha Altaf is a renowned fashion figure in Pakistan who has worked as a model, actor, stylist and event organizer. Frieha Altaf has always worked hard for the evolution of fashion in Pakistan. In the media , she is one of the finest and established event organisers of. Frieha has conducted Lux Style Awards for years. Besides this, she is quite vocal about social issues. Frieha Altaf has also been doing podcasts on her YouTube channel which gets praised by her fans.

Recently, Frieha Altaf appeared in FHM’S podcast, hosted by Adnan Faisal. In the podcast, she opened up about men’s struggle as bread winners. She also responded to Saima Qureshi’s statement regarding women’s earnings.

Talking about men as bread winners, Frieha Altaf said, “Many people are suffering from various traumas in life, and it is with men too. Men are also suffering from the traumas due to the social pressure of earning not only for him, but for his wife, his kids and for the whole family. It will be great if both men and women work together and share their burden together”

Talking about Saima Qureshi’s statement, she said, “Is there any blessing in begging? Work is always blissful, it is a worship, men and women should work equally, why are you separating genders in this debate? Hazrat Khadija R.A was working, do you mean her earnings had no blessings, she married the Prophet just because she needed a trustworthy partner, not because she was financially dependent.. I am flabbergasted by Miss Saima Qureshi’s statement. There is always a blessing in hard work”