Dubai: Pakistan’s top film and television actress Mahira Khan has taken a new role as Ambassador for Refugees as she pledges to create awareness about them.
Mahira Khan has been appointed as a ‘Goodwill Ambassador’ for Pakistan by the United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees
“We’re delighted to announce that Mahira Khan is our newest Goodwill Ambassador for Pakistan,” UNHCR announced on its twitter account.
Pakistan’s most popular actress Mahira also shared the news on her twitter account. “Grateful and honoured to be a [UNHCR] Goodwill Ambassador for Pakistan... Proud to be born to a motherland that has opened its arms to refugees for over 40 years,” she tweeted.
Mahira had also visited Afghan refugees in Peshawar last year as part of a high-profile UN delegation. She has also spoken up for the needs of more than 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan in media interviews, Dawn news reported.
Khan in the video shared by UNHCR says:“Pakistan has set an example for the world where a country has hosted refugees for the last 40 years... this is one cause because I feel so strongly about it, this is something that I want to talk about, especially as Pakistan’s UNHCR National Goodwill Ambassador.”
UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, George Okoth-Obbo presented a certificate of appointment to Khan.
“It was amazing to see despite the violence that they faced or the conflicts that they faced, they’re resilient people. They have defied all odds and they’re hopeful. They actually are all hopeful and from now on, all we have to do is not give up,” Mahira said.
She added: “This cause is not limited to a country, and should not be limited to a country. So I think first and foremost, there should be some sort of responsibility sharing.”
