As the International Day of Charity is marked around the world on September 5, You! looks at six Pakistani public figures who have put their platforms behind causes that matter long after the headlines fade…
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Fame is plentiful; selfless charitable work is considerably rarer. For celebrities, visibility can make it easier to draw attention to a cause,
raise money or mobilise people during a crisis. But there is a difference between lending your name to a campaign and staying involved once the
immediate attention has passed. Some Pakistani public figures have used their platforms to support work that has continued for years, taking on
issues ranging from disaster recovery and education to healthcare, child protection and the rehabilitation of survivors of violence.
With the International Day of Charity coming up on September 5, You! looks at six Pakistani public figures who have put their
names and platforms behind causes that matter long after the headlines fade…
Shehzad Roy- Changing the classroom
Shehzad Roy’s charitable work has centred largely on education, but his approach has extended beyond simply providing scholarships or school supplies.
He established ‘Zindagi Trust’ in 2002, with the organisation initially focusing on improving educational opportunities for disadvantaged children.
The organisation later became involved in reforming government schools, including work on school management, teaching standards and student welfare.
Roy has also used his public profile to raise questions about Pakistan’s education system through projects such as ‘Chal Parha’ a documentary series examining schools and education across the country.
Some of ‘Zindagi Trust’s’ work has extended into policy. The organisation has worked on issues including corporal punishment and teacher accountability, while its school-reform projects have attempted to demonstrate how government schools can be managed and improved.
Nadia Jamil - Making space for children
Nadia Jamil’s charitable work has largely centred on children, education and their emotional and creative development.
Over the years, the actor has worked with organisations and initiatives concerned with child protection and education, including the ‘Child Protection and Welfare Bureau Punjab’, ‘Girl Rising’ and the ‘Pakistan Children’s Literary Festival’. She has also been involved in educational institutions and programmes aimed at encouraging children’s creativity.
One of her more distinctive initiatives is ‘The Empty Space’, a community space in Lahore that offers children activities including art, music, dance, acting, storytelling and yoga.
The project is designed to bring children from different socioeconomic backgrounds together. Its model includes paid places that helped subsidise participation for children who could not otherwise afford it.
It is a relatively small-scale intervention compared with building a hospital or reconstructing hundreds of homes, but its focus is different. The idea is to give children a space where creativity and self-expression are treated as part of their development rather than as luxuries.
Hadiqa Kiani – Rebuilding hope
Known for her melodious voice and impactful contributions to Pakistan’s music industry, Hadiqa Kiani has seamlessly blended her artistry with activism. She earned a place on BBC’s 100 Women list last year for her tireless efforts to support humanitarian causes, particularly during the devastating floods that swept through Pakistan.
Hadiqa’s commitment to using her platform for good is evident in her continuous efforts to aid the voiceless. Her work took a more structured form following the floods of 2022. Kiani launched ‘Vaseela-e-Raah’, initially focusing on helping families who had lost their homes in Balochistan. Rather than limiting the project to food and emergency supplies, the initiative moved into reconstruction.
In 2023, Kiani announced the completion of the first phase of the project, which included 100 houses as well as a maternity clinic, grocery store and primary school in flood-affected areas of Balochistan. The project subsequently expanded, with hundreds of houses reported to have been constructed for families affected by the floods. Kiani’s work has therefore continued beyond the period when the floods dominated national attention. Her response has involved rebuilding physical infrastructure as well as helping families return to something resembling normal life.
Abrar-ul-Haq- Putting healthcare within reach
For Abrar-ul-Haq, healthcare has been one of the central areas of his charitable work.
The singer established ‘SAHARA for Life Trust’ which works in healthcare, education and social welfare, particularly in areas where access to services is limited. Its largest project is the Sughra Shafi Medical Complex in Narowal, which has developed into a teaching hospital serving patients from the surrounding region. According to SAHARA, the hospital has a capacity of 650 beds and has treated more than 6.5 million patients free of cost.
The organisation’s work has also included disaster response and other social welfare initiatives.
Masarrat Misbah- Restoring what violence tried to take
Masarrat Misbah’s work emerged from a problem closely connected to the beauty industry in which she had built her career.
In 2003, as the founder of Depilex she established the ‘Depilex Smileagain Foundation’ to support survivors of acid attacks and burn injuries. What began as a focus on reconstructive treatment has developed into a broader rehabilitation programme.
The foundation provides survivors with access to medical treatment and reconstructive surgery, but its work also extends to psychological support, legal assistance, vocational training and economic opportunities. The organisation therefore focuses on what happens after treatment as well. Its vocational and employment initiatives are particularly relevant because financial independence can determine whether a survivor is able to make decisions about her own future.
In this case, charitable work is not limited to treating an injury. It is about addressing some of the circumstances that can continue to affect a survivor long after the physical wounds have begun to heal.
Shahid Afridi - From the cricket pitch to communities
Shahid Afridi’s charitable work similarly covers several basic areas of need.
The former cricketer established the ‘Shahid Afridi Foundation’ in 2014, with programmes focused on education, healthcare, clean drinking water and emergency assistance.
Its education initiatives include schools in underserved areas, while its water projects address communities where access to clean drinking water remains limited. The foundation has also supported healthcare facilities and responded to emergencies, including assistance to communities affected by natural disasters and displacement.
In 2025, Afridi was involved in a partnership with the ‘Green Crescent Trust’ aimed at supporting education for more than 33,000 out-of-school children from disadvantaged communities.
His foundation’s work is notable for its breadth. Rather than focusing on a single cause, it addresses several of the practical barriers that affect poorer communities: whether children can attend school, whether families can access healthcare and whether communities have clean water.
