Director Shoaib Sultan surprised many by announcing a new film titled “Gunjal,” which focuses on a genre that is rarely explored in Pakistan1. While audiences are eagerly awaiting the release of upcoming light-hearted comedy Eid films, Gunjal revisits the murder of child activist Iqbal Masih in 1990s Pakistan. The film stars Ahmed Ali Akbar, Resham, and Aamna Ilyas in lead roles, with Syed Muhammad Ali and Ahmed Ali Butt in supporting roles. Produced by Nighat Akbar Shah of Adur Productions, the film follows journalist Shahbaz Bhatti as he investigates Masih’s murder, with themes of human rights, justice, and hope. The film is based on true events and is a must-see for those who believe in making a difference. Masih was a bonded child labourer in a carpet factory at age 5, became a symbol of the struggle against child labor after helping other child slaves escape, and was killed at age 12. His mother and sister demanded the arrest of his murderer, and in 2009, the US Congress named an annual award after him given to activists fighting to end child labour.
Movie on the Life of Iqbal Masih
1. https://www.instagram.com/gunjalmovie/
Latest from Blog
Polio Security
Yesterday, the government initiated a nationwide polio vaccination campaign, aiming to reach over 45 million children under the age of five. Such drives are meant to signal resolve, yet this one has begun under the shadow of violence, with the martyrdom of a police officer in Hangu, K-P, exposing once…
Violating Right to Free Education
Poverty, food insecurity, gender inequality, and funding – all of these reasons have been used by the government on various occasions to explain why there are 26.2 million children aged 5-16 out of school. A country that has the world’s second-highest number of out-of-school children is apparently so steeped in…
Between Play and Pixels: Children Growing up in Modern Times
A digital transformation has been introduced to the quiet, bustling homes everywhere, replacing the sounds of children playing on the streets. If you visit a typical household today, it is likely to observe a child bent over a phone with headphones in, completely lost in a digital world. At times,…
AT THE MARGINS OF PROTECTION
Child labour in Pakistan remains a structurally embedded challenge, especially within the private sector where informal, home-based, and subcontracted production systems dominate. Despite constitutional protections, significant implementation gaps and weak enforcement continue to undermine prevention and monitoring, particularly in sectors like agriculture, brick kilns, and domestic work. This issue is…
Private Schools Pocketing Over Rs5bn by Ignoring Scholarship Quota, Islamabad High Court informed
ISLAMABAD: In a revelation that underscores a massive gap between legislative intent and ground reality, it has emerged that private educational institutions (PEIs) in the federal capital are allegedly pocketing between Rs5 billion and Rs6 billion annually by failing to implement a mandatory 10 per cent scholarship quota for deserving…