Meesha Shafi, Ali Zafar speak up for students

Celebrities call out institutions for forcing children to go to school in the intense heat

With the intense summer heat continuing to rage on across the country, prominent celebrities are taking to social media to speak up for people being forced to work in the heat, including students and members of the working class. According to experts, prolonged or intense exposure to hot temperatures can cause heat-related illnesses among citizens, especially children, such as heat exhaustion, heat cramps, heatstroke, dengue, diarrhoea, throat infections and kidney stones.

Singer Ali Zafar took to social media to speak up for the well-being of students who are being forced to go to school in this heat. He tweeted, "ANY education system/institute/teacher/parent or person that puts unbearable mental or physical pressure on a child or a young one in their prime years of innocence, learning and joy knows NOTHING about knowledge or wisdom."

ANY education system/institute/teacher/parent or person that puts unbearable mental or physical pressure on a child or a young one in their prime years of innocence, learning and joy knows NOTHING about knowledge or wisdom. #education

— Ali Zafar (@AliZafarsays) June 10, 2021

With reference to the rights and wellbeing of schoolchildren and members of the working class, in particular security guards, singer Meesha Shafi took to Twitter to call out the impracticality of their uncomfortable uniforms. Meesha retweeted a post that read, "This is so agonistic! Polyester uniforms should be banned to make things easier for the security guards in this scorching heat," with reference to a quote by security guard Aslam Noor is which he said, "My uniform is made of pure polyester. Only my God and I know what's going on inside my body. It is like hell fire."

She wrote, "Polyester uniforms have no place in our region. Normalize cotton/muslin shalwar kurtaz… Schools kids, guards, whoever."

Polyester uniforms have no place in our region. None. Normalize cotton/muslin shalwar kurtaz. School kids, guards.. whoever. https://t.co/HttqKggB5w

— MEESHA SHAFI (@itsmeeshashafi) June 10, 2021

Actor Aagha Ali also took to Instagram to share a screenshot of a news article with the headline reading "25 Islamabad schoolchildren rushed to hospital after fainting due to intense heat". The Dil e Gumshuda actor wrote on his Instagram story, "The heat is just killing these days. I had to stop shooting as it was 44°C in Lahore and even in Islamabad today. Please bachon par reham karein. Start the schools after their summer vacations. This one week just for the fees! Sharam karein, rehem karein."