Meera to follow Imran Khan’s footsteps!

Actor Meera turns social activist with plans to open a free cardio-hospital in Haroonabad.

KARACHI:

From her claims to having an affair with fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar to her decision of contesting elections against Imran Khan, Meera ji is known for making rather dramatic revelations. Despite having openly challenged PTI chairperson Imran Khan in the general elections held this year, it seems that Meera has finally taken to IK’s philanthropic endeavours.

Motivated by the cricketer-turned-Politian’s most creditable effort of building Pakistan’s only free cancer hospital, Meera, too, is all set to launch her own charitable hospital in Haroonabad.



“It wasn’t really my dream to open a hospital, since my family has been pressurising me to get married,” she tells The Express Tribune in an interview that took place at the Pearl Continental hotel. “It just happened accidentally. I was recently on a tour of the US and Canada where I met with the doctors’ association. They wanted to support me in this cause,” she says. “I never knew people would trust me so much and support my cause,” she adds, the tears forming in her eyes. “I never had the confidence in me to do this but the respect that people have given me is overwhelming. Their positive response is what encouraged me.”

Meera is in awe of Imran’s contributions. “Aik dukaan kholnay ke liye bhi kitna kaam karna parhta hai, phir yeh tou koi aam si dukaan hai nahi, yeh aik hospital hai (It takes a lot of hard work just to open a shop and this not some random shop but rather a hospital),”she says. She admits to following IK’s footsteps by opening up a hospital for the needy.

“Imran Khan is definitely an inspiration behind my hospital project. Pakistan needs more Imran Khans in other fields, too,” she beams. Her hospital will also provide free cardio services to the impoverished people of Haroonabad, she adds.

“If you look at the West, a dog has a respectful life there, so does a cat! But here we don’t even value a human’s life. IK is right in saying that we don’t love ourselves enough,” says Meera. She laments that Pakistanis tend to be more interested in moving abroad and acquiring foreign nationality, while high achievers in other countries contribute to their state and help it prosper.

Having created quite a stir in Bollywood, more for her controversies than her acting skills, it seems ‘superstar’ Meera is disappointed over not receiving much credit for her work. “When superstars travel to India and work in Bollywood, only then people in Pakistan appreciate them otherwise they are treated as if they haven’t achieved much,” she asserts.

Catfight!

Over the years, many actors have gotten into rifts with Meera, and it seems that Humaima Malik has dared to enter that zone as well. In a recent interview, Humaima overtly said that all other superstars are more talk and less action. Meera has taken great offence to it, considering that she has been working in Lollywood for a long time.

“I have 175 projects under my belt whereas she has only one. It is strange for her to say that we only talk! Look at the kind and amount of work we are doing these days, she is not justified in making such tall claims,” exclaims Meera.

However, it’s not only Humaima who has made her upset, the press also seems to have disappointed the Salakhain star by being so unfair to the LSAs. “I have had a long association with the LSAs. They are the only academy awards taking place in the country and it is sad that these too are being criticised. It’s really unfair,” says Meera.

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Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2013.

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