Three Pakistanis make it on Forbes Asia’s inaugural 100 Digital Stars list

ISLAMABAD: Three Pakistanis have made it on Forbes Asia’s inaugural 100 Digital Stars list, which highlights 100 singers, bands, and film and TV stars from across the Asia-Pacific region “who have taken the digital world by storm.”
The list, which is unranked, comes at an exceptional time when much of the region’s population is spending time isolated at home due to the coronavirus, relying on their screens for communication and entertainment.
“We’ve given special focus to celebrities who, despite canceled physical events and activities, managed to remain active and relevant, largely by using social media to interact with their fans, raise awareness and inspire optimism,” Forbes said on its website. “Many also used their influence to help worthy causes, especially those with a COVID-19 focus.”
The Pakistani stars on the list are actresses Mahira Khan, 35, and Aiman Khan, 21, and singer Atif Aslam, 37.
“Khan uses her social media presence— nearly 7 million Instagram followers and over 4 million on Facebook— to raise awareness about mental health issues, violence against women and breast cancer,” Forbes said about Mahira Khan.
On Atif Aslam, Forbes said: “Released in May, his song ‘Asma-ul-Husna,’ recites Allah’s 99 names to encourage hope during the pandemic, and has over 22 million views on YouTube. Aslam urged his 20 million Facebook followers to stay home to curb the spread of the coronavirus.”
Actress Aiman Khan, with nearly 8 million followers, is the most-followed Pakistani celebrity on Instagram.
She and twin sister Minal run the clothing site Aiman Minal Closet, with 249,000 Instagram followers. Last year, she was nominated for Best Actress at Pakistan’s Hum Awards for roles in TV shows Ishq Tamasha and Baandi.

Three Pakistanis make it on Forbes Asia’s inaugural 100 Digital Stars list