Sinf-e-Aahan, a project that was monumental in its impact on not just one but several grounds. From creating awareness about the life of female army cadets, to depicting a softer image of the Pakistan Army, changing narratives on encountering and overcoming social issues faced by young girls to uplifting the spirits of Pakistani audiences and motivating them by giving them a direction to dream, Team Sinf-e-Aahan had set up a huge task for itself.
It was not surprising then, that the ISPR decided to arrange a special screening of the final episode with the cast in attendance. The event was hosted by the DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar and graced by the Chief of Army Staff, General Qamar Bajwa as the Chief Guest.
Celebrities In Attendance
From the Pakistani entertainment industry, actors and influencers, Yumna Zaidi, Kubra Khan, Syra Yousaf and Dananeer Mobeen along with director Nadeem Baig, and producers Sana Shahnawaz and Samina Humayun Saeed of Next Level Entertainment were present at the occasion. We also got the precious opportunity to meet the very inspiring, first three-star female Lieutenant General of the Pakistan Army – General Nigar Johar.
It was both an entertaining and emotional experience to watch the episode within the premises of ISPR along with the very heroes whose lives the drama attempted to represent. The rounds of applause, as each character rounded off their journey with a personal statement was both heart-warming and instilled a sense of instant patriotism on screen (and perhaps, inside each heart that was present at the event).
The inspiring Major Samia along with her husband was also present and we got the opportunity to meet this charismatic lady in person. She has been winning hearts with her performance in the drama.
The screening was followed by a dinner with Gen Bajwa, relevant Army personnel and cast of Sinf-e-Aahan. Actors Mahira Khan and Bilal Ashraf, who essayed the roles of General Nigar Johar and her husband, respectively in Aik Hai Nigar, along with Writer Umera Ahmed were also present at the event. The Sinf-e-Aahan team was presented with special awards by the Chief Guest to acknowledge their dedication and great work.
The event concluded with a speech by Gen Bajwa, where he appreciated the contributions of the artists and also shared his views on how Pakistan Army would like to continue to connect with the nation through innovative projects that aim to create awareness about critical issues like education, terrorism, role of women, giving opportunities where none or few exist and building a narrative that is forward-looking and that can help fight the many challenges we face as a society and a nation.
While the event was mainly organized to celebrate and acknowledge the hard work and efforts invested by everyone involved in the creation of Sinf-e-Aahan, it also showed us how that the drama held special significance for, and was very close to the hearts of the senior army personnel.
Why FUCHSIA Was Invited
ISPR took this opportunity to invite selected digital platforms to attend the event, which included FUCHSIA magazine as well. An exclusive meeting with Major General Babar Iftikhar – DG ISPR also took place. The meeting gave an opportunity for digital platforms to understand the objectives and motivations of ISPR. Under the leadership and guidance of Gen Babar, ISPR aims to create positivity, change perceptions about gender biases, propose a more progressive mindset and stay connected with the youth.
It was refreshing to hear that one of the objectives was to share stories of real-life heroes, so the youth can have inspiring figures to look up to from within their own country. Aik Hai Nigar is one such example.
What’s Next For ISPR?
The ISPR is currently working on an animated series titled “Team Muhafiz”, which aims to present a set of local super heroes to the nation’s youth.
During his conversation, Gen Babar also shared how they are especially concerned about certain sensitivities like minority representation in the content, as well as representing characters from tribal or marginalised areas. Arzoo and Pariwesh are two such examples that were introduced in the storyline in order to achieve these objectives.
We were also apprised of the update that after the first Lady cadet from Sri Lanka, who received training in Pakistan Military Academy, this year, the Army is hosting more than eight lady cadets from around the world.
Countering terrorism by comprehending the underlying issues, and building them into a narrative can help change mindsets – another objective that the ISPR endeavours to achieve.
The representatives from the digital platforms also got an opportunity to share their concerns, feedback and ideas for future projects that will be carried out in collaboration with ISPR.
