Pakistani star performer, mental health advocate and philanthropist Mahira Khan was present in London on behalf of Pakistan at one of the most significant charity events in the United Kingdom this week, where she was invited to attend the annual dinner of the British Asian Trust Gala at The Peninsula London. As an Ambassador for the British Asian Trust, Mahira took part in a fundraising event focused on mental health issues.
One of the highlights of the night was definitely the time when Mahira met King Charles III, the founding royal patron of the British Asian Trust. King Charles launched the foundation in 2007 with the purpose of addressing issues such as poverty, social injustice, and inequality in South Asia.
After the meeting, when speaking about it, Mahira expressed that she felt very encouraged and inspired by the interaction, and added that she was pleasantly surprised at how much King Charles knew about her and her work through the British Asian Trust.
“I was pleasantly surprised that he knew about the work I have done with the British Asian Trust and was aware of the causes I have been supporting,” she said, describing the interaction as warm and thoughtful. The actor added that she was heartened by the King’s genuine interest in the Trust’s ongoing development and humanitarian programmes in Pakistan.
But for Mahira, the evening was about more than just meetings with royalty and making red carpet events glamorous. The actress took advantage of the opportunity to bring awareness to an issue that has been at the core of her work over the last few years – mental health issues.
Speaking to the audience, Mahira emphasized the need to keep discussing mental well-being in South Asia, a region where stigma and lack of proper facilities stop people from seeking any assistance. Reminding the audience of her stance as a British Asian Trust Ambassador from 2022, Mahira stressed the fact that not only is it important for one’s own sake but also for the sake of others.
“Anything that we raise today, a small amount of money or even if we spread awareness, counts,” Mahira told attendees, making it clear that unity is key to tackling the issue of mental health in South Asia. This was the very essence of the event – real change does not necessarily start off with anything huge. Sometimes, it starts off with a simple conversation, a little bit of help, or breaking the taboo of mental health issues.
Another one of the important things that the actress mentioned was that there should be no time when a person is made to suffer in silence. She has been talking about this issue very strongly while campaigning for the Trust and saying that it is extremely important to make the society stop keeping quiet about mental well-being.
In addition to participating in various ceremonies, Mahira Khan has been associated with the charity organization in many other ways since she became their Ambassador. In particular, she has been supporting the Peace of Mind campaign of the charity and visiting projects aimed at dealing with mental health issues in Karachi. During one of these visits, she talked about the problem of hidden trauma in children.
In fact, The Trust’s interventions in Pakistan have already touched millions of people through various awareness campaigns, community outreach programs, and the education of healthcare professionals in the front line of service delivery. Its interventions are aimed at making mental healthcare available to the general population and minimizing the stigmatization associated with the problem.
Apart from the philanthropic endeavor, Mahira received a great deal of recognition for promoting the culture of South Asia by wearing South Asian fashion on the international platform. The actress dressed herself in an exquisite outfit of champagne-colored embroidered dress, thus becoming one of the most outstanding personalities of the night.
However, despite all the glamour surrounding the gala every year, Mahira’s message continued to be rooted in reality. Regardless of whether she spoke to world leaders, engaged with the donors, or helped raise awareness among the people suffering from mental illnesses, she made sure that everyone understood the same thing – awareness should go hand in hand with actions.
Indeed, her final words at the gala left a powerful message with the audience. Mahira Khan did not consider the event just another chance to make an appearance before the international community. On behalf of the organization she represents, she helped give a voice to the voiceless, raise awareness about mental illnesses, and show people that change is achieved together.
As she herself emphasized, “Anything that we raise today, counts.”