Pakistani society is unforgiving when it comes to women and age Women in the entertainment industry are especially vulnerable to this. However, actor Zara Noor Abbas took to Instagram recently to call out these practices of trying to keep oneself from aging for being harmful. Calling aging a “natural and beautiful truth”, Abbas asked women to stop relying on medication to lose weight or lighten skin tones, asserting, “Drug abuse with addiction is the worst kind of addiction.” She emphasised the need to focus on intellect, saying, “Vanity is very short lived. Work on your mind. Your brain. That will last.”

Abbas is the latest in a series of leading stars to call out societal attitudes towards aging, especially when it comes to actors. In recent interviews, Mehwish Hayat, Mahnoor Baloch and Mahira have also talked about challenges faced by women actors.