‘My daughter is on the spectrum’: Mehreen Raheel opens up on motherhood's challenges

In a world where balancing career and family can be tough, actress Mehreen Raheel has opened up about how she manages the challenges of motherhood while staying focused on career goals.

Appearing as a guest on Ahmad Ali Butt’s podcast, she shared her personal journey and insights into navigating both roles.

“Motherhood is a very powerful tool. Allah has given it to every woman. Yes, and it happens that some mothers need more time, especially mothers with children who are differently-abled. My daughter is on the spectrum,” she said, adding that she didn’t feel comfortable leaving her with an attendant.

“So, when I felt that she had become independent… she could do things on her own, it was when I decided to step back in the game and carry on from not where I left but somewhere else.”

The Zindagi Gulzar Hai actress went to explain how her priorities have shifted.

“I started working really early in life. I was about 12 and I had seen so much. So there came a point when I decided that I wanted to enjoy my children. Being a mother was the most wonderful thing that could have ever happened to me… so I didn’t want to fast-forward it. I wanted to take it slow… enjoy each moment. And so, I raised my children… took care of them… and I am very, very attached to them,” Mehreen said.

On the topic of politics, Mehreen emphasized the global impact of current events.

“We are being affected… the whole world is being affected with the current situation of the global verse. If I say that something isn’t affecting us, I would be foolish. We need help, and we need to respect ourselves. This is my stance,” she said.

The Dastaan actress also expressed concerns about Pakistan’s education system, highlighting how it had turned into a “money-making industry”.

“Education in Pakistan has become a money-making factory. Everybody is out there just to make money. It has affected our upcoming generations because everybody is too busy to pay attention to what's going on,” she said

Mehreen also said, “Another issue is for mothers. They have to constantly be helicopter parents because if they don’t keep track of their kids' grades and education, nobody else cares. I’ve seen that these group systems create a lot of fear.”