I share this with all the other Pakistani girls who have dreams: Mehwish Hayat on Tamgha-e-Imtiaz

Hayat was conferred with Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for her contribution to Pakistani entertainment industry

Mehwish Hayat, who received Tamgha-e-Imtiaz on Pakistan Day, dedicated her award to all the girls of Pakistan who have big dreams.

Taking to Instagram, the Punjab Nahi Jaungi star reminisced the time when she walked in to PTV studios, only eight years old at the time. "An eight year old girl went to the PTV studios holding her mother’s hand tightly," Hayat wrote. "She was totally clueless about all the hustle and bustle going on around her. But she was equally fascinated by the lights, the cameras and the way in which everybody was hard at work, including her own mother who was an actor."

PHOTO: ZAHEER ABBAS/INSTAGRAM

"Even as a child, the wobbly sets amused her but she could see on the screens the magic being woven in that studio, creating dreams for so many people," Hayat went on. "Yesterday, that same little girl arrived at the Aiwan-e-Sadr holding tightly on to her mother’s hand, equally bemused by her surroundings. That girl knows that she is blessed to be there, receiving such a prestigious honour in the company of such distinguished people, following in the footsteps of so many legends, so many of her own heroes."

The Jawani Phir Nahi Ani star continues, "At heart, she remains that simple little girl from Karachi who has been fortunate to live out her dreams. Her journey from that PTV studio to the Aiwan-e-Sadr has been a long one and by no means, the easiest. But never in her wildest dreams did she see this recognition coming at such a tender age. Nor did she see the role she would go on to play in the revival of Pakistani cinema and her contribution being acknowledged in this way!"

PHOTO: MEHWISH HAYAT/INSTAGRAM

Hayat expressed her gratitude for the award. "Thank you to the Government of Pakistan and the President for bestowing this honour upon me and making the dream of that little girl come true," she said. "Today, I share this with all the other girls in Pakistan who have  dreams. To them, I simply say, 'Hope lies in dreams, in imagination and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams turn into reality.'"

She also thanked her family, friends and colleagues who helped her achieve this award. "Above all, to all the fans who have supported me each step of the way and made me worthy of this award!" she concluded.

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