In a touching display of celebration and support, Pakistani actor and model Iffat Omar expressed her heartfelt congratulations to Maryam Nawaz Sharif on becoming the first woman to serve as the Chief Minister of Punjab. Taking to the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter), Iffat shared her sentiments in response to a video capturing Maryam’s oath-taking ceremony.
In her message, Iffat penned a sincere note, saying, “This is an emotional moment. I am so happy for you Maryam Nawaz Sharif sahiba for being the first woman to be the CM of Punjab.” She concluded her message with a warm wish, “May you be the best and I am sure you will be. Congratulations.”
Iffat, known for her recent standout performance in the film Taxali Gate, has been recognized over the years for her outspoken views on Pakistani politics and feminism.
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Last year, the actress appeared as a guest on comedian Shehzad Ghias Shaikh’s podcast, where she discussed her experiences working in the media industry and offered candid commentary on stereotypes rooted in linguistic differences.
During the conversation, Iffat argued that Urdu, as a language, has historically been regarded as superior to all other languages spoken in Pakistan. She shared her firsthand experience of working in Karachi and interacting with certain ‘elitist crowds’ who criticized her for her lack of fluency in English and looked down on her Punjabi accent, even criticizing her Urdu-speaking skills on set.
“The elitist crowd would look down upon you and say, ‘This person doesn’t know English’. We were made to feel complexed about our English-speaking skills, and then after that, we were made to feel complexed about our Urdu as well,” Iffat remarked, shedding light on the challenges faced by professionals in the media industry if their spoken English and Urdu proficiency did not meet certain standards.
