From DVF to Star Wars, Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy charts her Hollywood path 

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy attends the opening night premiere of "Diane Von Furstenberg: Woman In Charge" during the 2024 Tribeca Festival at BMCC Theater on June 05, 2024 in New York City.
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Updated 26 June 2024
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From DVF to Star Wars, Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy charts her Hollywood path 

  • Obaid-Chinoy, winner of two Oscars, has been roped in to direct a Star Wars film
  • Her documentaries have put spotlight on social issues, notably women’s rights

Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s oeuvre defies simple categorization.
She’s made documentaries about acid attack victims and child refugees. She’s focused her lens on the extraordinary life of designer Diane von Furstenberg. She’s spearheaded animated films for and about Pakistani children. She’s directed episodes of “Ms. Marvel” and is developing a Star Wars film. And she’s won two Oscars along the way.

It’s not a conventional resume or trajectory — nothing that anyone would teach or even think to advise in a film school or a masterclass about making it in Hollywood. But for Obaid-Chinoy , it’s working. And it’s made her one of the most interesting storytellers in the business.

“I’ve been able to follow my own yellow brick road to Hollywood,” Obaid-Chinoy said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. “Having Academy Awards has helped that, but most importantly so many young filmmakers around the world write to me and tell me how my unconventional choices ... make them believe that that yellow brick road can be walked on by many people.”
Her newest film is “Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge,” which is streaming on Hulu. With a co-directing credit shared with Trish Dalton, it’s an intimate portrait of the fashion tycoon, who is raw and honest about everything: death, dalliances, ambitions, love, failures and everything in between.
“I hope it’s inspiring to a lot of girls and women to know that they can be the women they want to be,” von Furstenberg said.
They met 12 years ago on stage at Carnegie Hall where von Furstenberg was presenting Obaid-Chinoy with a Glamour Woman of the Year Award and have kept in touch since. When von Furstenberg decided she was ready to tell her own story, she wanted Obaid-Chinoy to do it and gave her full access to herself, her family and her archives.
“I’ve always made films about women who are on the front lines, who are faced with extraordinary circumstances and who rise to that occasion,” she said. “Diane is very much in line with that.”
It’s a busy time for the filmmaker, who is also in early development on Akiva Goldsman’s adaptation of the Marcus Sakey novel “Brilliance” and working with Kathleen Kennedy and Steven Knight on a “Star Wars” film about Daisy Ridley’s Rey at a jedi academy, both of which she’ll direct.
Obaid-Chinoy didn’t start out with filmmaking aspirations, however. Her entry to storytelling was as a teen journalist in Pakistan. The eldest of six, five of whom were girls, she was a naturally inquisitive young person who wanted to know about the world around her. She would pepper her mother with questions: Why did she get to go to school while other kids were begging on the street? Why was there inequality? Why were women forced to live a certain kind of life?
When she was around 14, her mother suggested she start putting these questions in writing. So, she did. Obaid-Chinoy wrote a letter to the local English language newspaper in Pakistan — the first of many letters that would open doors to new opportunities and career advancements. By 17, she was doing investigative reporting for the paper.
It wasn’t until October 2001, as she was nearing her graduation at Smith College, that she realized she wanted to do more visual storytelling. Her first idea was to go to Afghanistan and focus on the ordinary people living there. She sent her proposal out to about 80 organizations and finally got a response, from New York Times Television. With $7,500 from them and $7,500 from her school, she made “Terror’s Children,” which was broadcast on television and won several awards: Suddenly she was a documentary filmmaker to watch.
In 2012, at 33, she made Oscars history as the first Pakistani Academy Award winner for her documentary short “Saving Face,” an eye-opening film about women disfigured by acid attacks and the plastic surgeon trying to help them.
One of its fans was Angelina Jolie, who wrote in Time Magazine that Obaid-Chinoy, one of their 100 most influential people of 2012, was helping to shape the dialogue on Pakistan and inspire change in legislation.
“Giving voice to those who cannot be heard,” Jolie wrote, “she celebrates the strength and resilience of those fighting against seemingly insurmountable odds — and winning.”
A few years later, her film “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness,” about a teen who survives an “honor killing” attempt by her father and uncle, helped inform the repeal of a forgiveness loophole for perpetrators. It also won the Oscar.
After that, she felt an urge to create something more visual and set up an animation studio in Pakistan.
“I began to work more with actors and narrative work,” she said. “And out of this grew a need to do something that would take my experiences being embedded around the world as a filmmaker and create something that would give life to characters that would be loved around the world.”
So, she wrote another letter, this time to Marvel Studios, raising her hand to help with the Disney+ series “Ms. Marvel.” She directed episodes around the superhero’s trip to modern-day Pakistan and 1947 India.
This new phase of her career has put her in a bigger spotlight, with higher profile opportunities, but it also comes with its downsides — just ask anyone involved in “Acolyte” about toxic fandoms. But she’s unbothered by the noise: She learned long ago from her mother to drown out the voices that aren’t helpful.
The chasm between serious-minded documentaries and fantasies about jedi knights might seem vast from the outside, but for Obaid-Chinoy it’s not so.
“My protagonists ... go on these hero’s journey and that are faced with adversities and that sort of, you know, rise up out of the ashes of that adversity. And in many of my films, they change the trajectory of a country, the trajectory of the community,” she said. “At the heart of it, that is Star Wars. And I’ve been telling that story for the last 20 years.”


Pakistan tops global emerging market rankings in sovereign risk improvement — Bloomberg Intelligence

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Pakistan tops global emerging market rankings in sovereign risk improvement — Bloomberg Intelligence

  • Government calls the development ‘a resounding signal’ to investors about Pakistan’s improving economy
  • It attributes the new outlook to economic stabilization, structural reforms and successful IMF engagement

KARACHI: Pakistan has recorded the world’s sharpest decline in sovereign default risk over the past year, topping Bloomberg Intelligence’s Global Emerging Market (EM) Rankings for credit risk improvement, according to new data cited by a senior finance official on Saturday.

The data, published by Bloomberg’s research arm, showed that Pakistan’s credit default swap-implied probability of default fell from 59 percent to 47 percent over the past 12 months, a drop of 11 percentage points. The change marks the biggest reduction among tracked emerging markets, outpacing countries like Argentina, Tunisia and Nigeria, as default risk rose in others such as Egypt, Gabon and Turkiye.

Credit default swaps (CDS) are insurance-like financial contracts that allow investors to hedge against the risk of a government failing to repay its debt. Issued and traded by large financial institutions, these contracts pay out in the event of a default. The higher the cost of a CDS, the greater the perceived risk. Bloomberg Intelligence uses CDS pricing to assess a country’s sovereign risk in its Global EM Rankings.

“Pakistan stands out globally as the most improved economy in terms of reduction in sovereign default risk,” said Khurram Schehzad, adviser to the finance minister, in a social media post. “This is a resounding signal to global investors: Pakistan is not only back on the map— it is moving forward with stability, credibility, and reform at its core,” he added.

Bloomberg Intelligence is a highly regarded financial data and media company widely used by global investors, analysts and institutions.

The improvement in Pakistan’s risk profile comes after the South Asian nation narrowly avoided a sovereign default in 2023. With dwindling reserves and mounting debt repayments, Islamabad secured a short-term bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with the support of key allies including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and China.

Since then, Pakistan has undertaken a series of IMF-recommended structural reforms and fiscal adjustments aimed at stabilizing the economy.

Credit rating agencies such as Standard & Poor’s and Fitch have acknowledged the progress with improved outlooks, while the government has prioritized timely debt servicing and macroeconomic discipline.

Schehzad attributed the improved outlook to “macroeconomic stabilization, structural reforms, successful IMF engagement and timely debt repayments,” noting that investor confidence had begun to return.


Rains and flash floods kill 11 in Pakistan’s Swat, claim 12 lives in Punjab

Updated 28 min 30 sec ago
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Rains and flash floods kill 11 in Pakistan’s Swat, claim 12 lives in Punjab

  • A search operation to find the three missing persons was still underway in Swat on Saturday
  • Met Office warns the risk of heavy rains and flash floods will remain high until at least Tuesday

PESHAWAR/KARACHI: At least 11 people have been killed in flash floods in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, while heavy rains have claimed another 12 lives in the most populous Punjab province, provincial rescue and disaster authorities said on Saturday.

Flooding in the Swat river swept away 17 people early Friday, of which three were rescued and bodies of 11 others were recovered.

Shah Fahad, director-general of the provincial rescue service, said a search operation to find the three missing persons was still underway.

“Rescue 1122 operation is currently underway in different areas of Swat, including Khwaza Khela, Kabal Bypass and Barikot,” Fahad said in a statement. “More than 120 personnel of Rescue 1122 are engaged in relief activities.”

A rescue worker rows a raft while searching for survivors, after tourists, who were on a picnic, were swept away by overflowing floodwaters in the Swat River, in Swat Valley in Pakistan on June 27, 2025. (REUTERS)

Flooding in the province has also damaged 56 houses, six of which were destroyed, the KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Friday.

The ongoing spell of rains, which began on June 25, has killed a dozen people in the eastern Punjab province and delayed the arrival and departure of trains in Sindh province in the south.

“Twelve people died and 39 were injured in various accidents,” the Punjab PDMA said in a statement. “Majority of deaths were caused by the collapse of roofs and walls.”

Punjab PDMA chief Irfan Ali Kathia urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and not to stay in dilapidated homes in bad weather conditions.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned that the risk of heavy rains and possible flash floods will remain high until at least Tuesday.

Babar Raza, a spokesperson for Pakistan Railways, told Arab News the weather conditions had affected the railway signaling system, while the speed of trains had also been deliberately reduced for the sake of passenger safety.

“As a result, some trains are reaching their destinations with a delay of three to four hours,” he said. “No trains have been canceled so far.”

Pakistan is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, and its 240 million inhabitants are facing extreme weather events with increasing frequency.

Last month, at least 24 people were killed in severe storms in the South Asian nation, which experienced several extreme weather events in the spring, including strong hailstorms.

Commuters make their way through a flooded street following heavy rainfall in Hyderabad, in Sindh province on June 27, 2025. (AFP)

 


Pakistan arrests two for defrauding citizens with fake jobs in Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom

Updated 38 min 42 sec ago
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Pakistan arrests two for defrauding citizens with fake jobs in Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom

  • The suspects arrested in the Pakistani city of Multan have been accused of human smuggling
  • The Federal Investigation Agency says both men extorted money and were involved in visa fraud

KARACHI: Pakistani authorities have arrested two men accused of human smuggling after they defrauded citizens with false promises of jobs in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom, officials said on Saturday, as the country intensifies its crackdown on trafficking networks following a series of deadly migrant boat disasters.

The arrests, made by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Multan, come amid Pakistan’s broader campaign to curb human smuggling. The issue has drawn significant attention following recent tragedies in the Mediterranean, including shipwrecks off Greece, Libya and Morocco involving scores of Pakistani nationals.

“The accused, Muhammad Muzammil and Sher Khan, extorted large sums of money from citizens by falsely promising overseas employment opportunities,” the FIA said in a statement. “Muzammil took Rs852,000 [$2,982] from a victim under the pretense of securing a job in Saudi Arabia, while Sher Khan collected Rs2 million [$7,000] by offering fake employment in the UK,” it continued. “Both failed to deliver and went into hiding after collecting the money.”

The statement noted that the suspects were also involved in visa fraud.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to crack down on the criminal networks exploiting vulnerable people with false hopes of better lives abroad. His administration began focusing on the issue after more than 200 Pakistanis were presumed dead in a shipwreck off Greece among hundreds of other illegal migrants trying to reach European shores.

Earlier this year, over 40 Pakistanis were feared drowned near Morocco’s coast, while the International Organization for Migration said at least 60 migrants, including Pakistanis, were feared dead after a pair of shipwrecks off the coast of Libya in June.

The FIA said on Saturday that both suspects were arrested from separate locations in Multan and have been taken into custody for further investigation. It added that its crackdown on human smugglers remains ongoing.


Pakistani province probes alleged sale of UNICEF-tagged soap for anti-polio campaign

Updated 28 June 2025
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Pakistani province probes alleged sale of UNICEF-tagged soap for anti-polio campaign

  • The development comes days after officials seized over 200 UNICEF-tagged soap bars from Peshawar market
  • UNICEF’s communication specialist did not respond to multiple queries seeking a comment on the matter

PESHAWAR: Authorities in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province are probing the alleged sale of soap bars, which were provided by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for the country’s campaign against polio, at a market in Peshawar, officials said on Friday.

The comments came after the seizure of over 200 soap bars at the Faqeerabad market in the provincial capital, which bore the “not-for-sale” marking, according to Additional Assistant Commissioner Azimullah Mehsud.

The local administration acted on a tip-off about UNICEF-tagged soap bars being “diverted” to the open market. A preliminary investigation suggested the consignment originated in the southern Sindh province.

Authorities arrested a shopkeeper on June 25, who was selling these soap bars on Facebook and in the local market in the northwestern Pakistani city.

“According to initial investigations, he [the suspect] told us that they got this supply [of soaps] from Sindh,” Mehsud told Arab News. “The person we have arrested told us he gives this [to people] on Facebook marketplace and said, ‘I’m an Afghan national’.”

This handout photo, released by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor’s focal person for polio Tariq Habib, shows UNICEF-tagged soap bars allegedly recovered after a raid at the Faqeerabad market in Peshawar, Pakistan on June 25, 2025. (Handout)

Mehsud said the authorities recovered three cartons during the raid, with a total of 216 soap bars. He said the suspect claimed to have additional stock.

“Here people used to buy [a soap bar] from him at a cost of Rs40 or Rs45 and then used to change its packaging at Rs3, and then [they were] being supplied to Jalalabad, Afghanistan and here in Pakistan, I think, including D.I. Khan and many other places,” he said.

“When we contacted him, he [suspect] told us to come tomorrow and he will arrange 3,000 more [soap bars] for us. Then we told the anti-corruption to locate the link to his network.”

Arab News reached out to UNICEF’s communication specialist, Zia-ur-Rehman, but did not receive a response to its queries seeking comment on the matter.

Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure, making prevention through vaccination critical. After a significant decline over the past decades, Pakistan witnessed an intense resurgence of the poliovirus in 2024, with 74 cases reported. According to Pakistan’s polio program, the country has reported 13 cases of the virus so far this year.

This handout photo, released by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor’s focal person for polio Tariq Habib, shows UNICEF-tagged soap bars allegedly recovered after a raid at the Faqeerabad market in Peshawar, Pakistan on June 25, 2025. (Handout)

The KP anti-corruption department plans to send an open letter to UNICEF and the Sindh provincial administration to further investigate the matter.

Humayun Khan, the Peshawar circle officer of the anti-corruption department, confirmed to Arab News that his department had launched an investigation into the case.

“It [investigation] will go ahead properly with a procedure,” he said. “It will take time.”


Suicide attack kills 13 soldiers in Pakistan’s northwest — officials

Updated 28 June 2025
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Suicide attack kills 13 soldiers in Pakistan’s northwest — officials

  • The attack injured 29 others, including civilians, in North Waziristan district 
  • Hafiz Gul Bahadur group of the Pakistan Taliban claimed the suicide attack

PESHAWAR: A suicide attack claimed by the Pakistani Taliban killed 13 soldiers and wounded 29 people, including civilians, local government officials and police officers told AFP.

“A suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a military convoy. The blast killed 13 soldiers, injured 10 army personnel and 19 civilians,” said a local government official in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

“The explosion also caused the roofs of two houses to collapse, injuring six children,” a police officer posted in the district told AFP.

The condition of four injured soldiers is critical, an administrative official added.

The attack was claimed by the suicide bomber wing of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur armed group, a faction of the Pakistan Taliban.

Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in violence in its regions bordering Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, with Islamabad accusing its western neighbor of allowing its soil to be used for attacks against Pakistan — a claim the Taliban deny.

Around 290 people, mostly security officials, have been killed in attacks since the start of the year by armed groups fighting the government in both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, according to an AFP tally.