Last year, Mehwish Hayat had fans buzzing when a Twitter user asked the Pakistani actress whether she had intentions to join public service by 2023. Her response was 2028.
Now, in a detailed chat with the UK-based entertainment portal Desi Blitz, Hayat has spoken at length about her intentions to join active politics in eight years and may even stand for the Pakistan General Elections.
“I would like to say that I love the power that comes with politics — don’t get me wrong, I am not some sort of megalomaniac,” Hayat said in the interview. “For me, politics is about being in a position to make a difference in the lives of people.”
The 36-year-old actress-singer stated that as an individual she has always been fascinated by global politics and how it impacts lives on a micro level, taking inspiration from prominent figures such as Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, along with the founding father of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Speaking at length about Pakistan’s political climate in the same interview, Hayat stated the problem with the country today was its “partisan” approach.
“You are either one party or another and never shall the two meet. If I were to stand, what I would like to do is to rise above this and find a way for unifying the nation,” she stated, adding: “To borrow from another campaign, we have to put Pakistan first. I hope to find a middle ground and find something to offer everybody across the board.”
When analysing the government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Hayat said she felt he was doing his best under the circumstances.
Hayat also advocated the need for women to have a voice in the country today. “Pakistan will stagnate if women are not part of its future development,” she said,
One of her fans has even made a poster for 2028 under the title ‘Qaum Ki Awaaz’ to urge her along; looks like Hayat has answered the call of the people.
Meanwhile, on the film front, Hayat will feature in ‘London Nahi Jaunga’, which is set to release this year but has been delayed according to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this month, rumours had stated Hayat had tested positive for the coronavirus, but the actress had rubbished such stories, taking to Twitter to refute such reports. “Not true!!! I just wish that our media would be more responsible and check their facts before posting such stories. Call me and check instead of posting anything you feel like for the sake of “followers” and “likes”. This has caused a great deal of distress to family and friends,” she posted on June 11.
