IPPA 2023: Mehwish Hayat talks about Gaza despite risk in England

KARACHI: The world is going through incredibly trying times. With a genocide taking place which has left over 4500 people dead, so far, people are using their platforms to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine. A prime example of such people is Mehwish Hayat who took to the International Pakistan Prestige Awards (IPPA) stage to take a stand for Gaza.

The IPPA 2023 event was held in Manchester last weekend and was a star studded event, complete with all the glitz and glamour. It was a big night for the actor, who was awarded the Best Actress Award for her role in London Nahi Jaunga. It was when Mehwish Hayat was accepting her award that she took the opportunity to express her grief over what was going on in Gaza. Despite the big win, she confessed, “It’s hard to feel joy when you see all that is happening in Gaza.” The United Kingdom is a fierce supporter of Israel and has had a crackdown on pro Palestine protests, but that did not stop Hayat from speaking up. In her acceptance speech she said that while, “I’m told speaking about these issues in your country carries risks,” she could not stay silent about about the plight of the mothers in Gaza whose children have become causalities of war, “No child’s life is disposable. No child’s life should be collateral damage.” The actor went on to call for an “immediate ceasefire” and an end to the “vicious cycle of violence” in Gaza.

Mehwish Hayat ended her speech on Gaza on a powerful note, “I truly believe that if we open our hearts and see the humanity in each other, peace really becomes possible. I pray for compassion to defeat hatred, and for courage to overcome fear. Let our voices build a just world that only knows love, peace and humanity.”