The Pakistan affiliate of The Wikimedia Foundation recently released a list of the most searched Pakistanis on Wikipedia from January 1, 2017 to December 20, 2017.
Here’s a list of those who made it to the top 10.
10) Abdul Sattar Edhi
The late philanthropist was the 10th most searched Pakistani in the past year with 664,107 page views. He was a humanitarian who dedicated his life to social work. He established a welfare foundation and oversaw it for almost six decades along with his wife Bliquis Edhi.
9) Benazir Bhutto
With 794,442 page views, the late Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader was the ninth most searched Pakistani in 2017. She was twice elected as the prime minister of Pakistan and was assassinated in 2007. Her 10th death anniversary was recently observed on December 27, 2017.
8) Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
The Ustad was the eight popular Pakistani on Wikipedia in 2017 with 838,527 page views. The maestro is known for his extensive vocal range and his unique style of singing devotional Qawwalis.
7) Fawad Khan
With 860,213 page views, the Pakistani heartthrob secured the seventh spot. His earliest claim to fame was through his alternative rock band Entity Paradigm. He later shifted his focus to acting and became popular for his role in the television series Hamsafar.
6) Nawaz Sharif
The disqualified premier was the sixth most searched Pakistani with 867,548 page views. He was one of the most controversial figures in 2017. He was ousted by the Supreme Court (SC) in its July 28 verdict of the Panama Papers case for not disclosing his employment with FZE Capital.
5) Imran Khan
With 884,206 page views, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief secured the fifth spot. Following the disqualification of former premier Nawaz Sharif, he too had to go through an accountability trial. He was cleared by the SC in December 2017.
4) Saba Qamar
The Pakistani actress was the fourth most searched Pakistani with 910,102 page views. She starred alongside Irrfan Khan in the Indian film Hindi Medium in 2017 and achieved critical acclaim for her performance in the ongoing television series Baaghi which is based on the life of late social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch.
3) Muhammad Ali Jinnah
With more than a million page views, the founder of Pakistan secured the third spot. He was a successful lawyer and politician who led the Pakistan movement until the creation of Pakistan in 1947. He was also the first Governor-General of the country.
2) Mahira Khan
The Pakistani actress secured the second spot with more than two million page views. She achieved fame after appearing in Shoaib Mansoor’s film Bol in 2011 and starred alongside Shahrukh Khan in the 2017 Indian film Raees.
1) Malala Yousafzai
Activist for female education and the world’s youngest Nobel laureate topped the list of the most searched Pakistanis on Wikipedia in 2017 with more than 2.5 million page views. She survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban in 2012 and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.