Best Pakistani memes of 2021 are a collection of the most messed up situations in the country, making this dreadful year bearable for many. As the nation says goodbye to 2021, it also looks forward to the new year and hopes it will be better than what it went through. Regardless, people will still get through anything if such memes keep coming.
Best Viral Pakistani Memes of 2021
Almost all months of 2021 gave Pakistan something to laugh about and tone down the misery of this year. Here is the recap of the craziest memes that folks shared following the events as they occured.
Cannoli Scandal Memes
The year started with two of the most helpless obsessions of Pakistanis; ‘English’ and ‘making fun of people. A couple of elite English-speaking owners of Cannoli restaurant in Islamabad went viral for trying to banter with their manager. The internet responded with anger and said it was another example of how Pakistani elites were pathetic and tone-deaf. Following the scandal, many came up with some of the best Pakistani memes of 2021.
Pawri Ho Rahi Hai
In February, social media influencer Dananeer Mobeen became an overnight sensation after making one of the most memorable and best Pakistani memes of 2021. Her viral video ‘Pawri Ho Rahi Hai’ is an international success, with many other artists and citizens coming up with their recreations. Even celebrities and brands joined the trend that lasted for a very long time, and in some parts, it still does. The video catapulted the 19-year-old influencer to stardom. A famous Indian musician Yashraj Mukhate, known for creating remixes of viral videos, also made a pawri ho Rahi hai version.
Old Zardari Interview
Former President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari made headlines in March after his party PPP (Pakistan People’s Party) decided to disassociate itself from opposition alliance PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement). According to reports, the members said they would not resign from the Parliament until ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan. Social media enjoyed the conniving political move and resurfaced the 2018 interview of Zardari where he said, “Aisa Dil Rakhte Hi Nhi Hain Kay Toote Ga” [I don’t have a heart that breaks]. They played around with the words to show how he may have distanced himself from everything that could lead to his criticism.
Amir Liaquat’s Accident
Controversial Minister of National Assembly-cum-TV host Aamir Liaquat Hussain is a recurring character in memes, and in April, he starred in one of the best Pakistani memes of 2021. This time folks trolled him for slipping while running during one of his so-called Ramadan transmissions. He invited Naseem Hameed, a gold medalist, to the South Asian Federation Games 2010 in a 20-meter race. Liaquat challenged Hameed to a race and had a great fall while trying to cheat his way to win. Viewers laughed at the situation instead of being concerned for the controversial minister. Soon the internet was filled with more Amir Liaquat memes.
Deep Pockets
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi appeared in an interview with CNN anchor Bianna Golodryga after calling to end Israeli violence at the UNGA emergency meeting in May. The interviewer called him to discuss his remarks about the Israel and Palestine issue. Qureshi passed further comments about the connection between Israeli authorities and western media. He shared his views about how Israel used its power over media to paint the desired picture of Palestine. The baffled anchor questioned Qureshi to elaborate the “connection”, to which he replied “deep pockets” after a maniacal laugh. The phrase ‘deep pockets’ represents Israel’s influence to control and manipulate reality with its immense wealth. Anchor said that Qureshi’s statement was antisemtic which was a disputed claim. So many labelled the anchor as biased towards Israel, which further validated Quraishi’s remarks. The interview encouraged many to make memes and joke about Qureshi’s comments and the anchor’s reaction.
Midsummer Chaos Memes
Midsummer Chaos was a short web series that arrived in June, made by a teenager for teenagers. However, many users on social media were not impressed with it and called it the “Gossip Girl” of Islamabad. It revolved around how 5 teenagers in Islamabad spent their summer after finishing high school. Viewers trolled it for largely representing the elite teenager lives and completely ignoring what typical teens go through in Pakistan. They made fun of the unlikeable characters and how they tried hard to act in this cringe-fest. It soon became fodder for some of the best Pakistani memes of 2021.
Ant-Feminist Twitter Space
A debate started on Twitter spaces after the heinous incident at Minar-E-Pakistan, where 400 men toyed with one woman, ripping her clothes and juggling her in the air like a lifeless object. There were strong arguments on the rising cases of violence against women, as well as some victim-blaming and slut-shaming as well. Listeners noted that the talk was mainly problematic, as many male speakers were anti-feminist. Instead of talking about why 400 men felt the need to do something like that to a woman, they shifted the onus towards the one woman getting manhandled by hundreds of men. Many felt that feminist responses were either overshadowed or shortened whenever they tried to speak. Listeners soon realized those vile men had taken over the space, so the discussion was useless. They found solace in making memes on the situation and making fun of those male speakers, who were utterly oblivious of how women in their country were suffering.
Nida Yasir Formula Memes
Morning show host Nida Yasir is also a famous meme template. She loves to stay in the news even if she has to do some questionable stuff. She appears to be completely fine with her actions and do not regret causing embarrassment. One such incident happened in one of her shows in 2016 when she invited Abdul Aleem and Mohammad Shariq War. The two guests were NUST students who built a Formula 1 electric racing car to compete at the Formula Student race event. Shockingly, the host did not even know why she called them on the show as she had no idea about their invention. She was also clueless about the biggest racing event in the world, i.e., Formula 1. Social media users resurfaced the interview and made some of the best Pakistani memes of 2021.
Pakistan Beating India in T20 World Cup
In October, Pakistan crushed India to earn its first-ever win against their arch-rivals in a T20 World Cup Match. The entire month was filled with brilliant cricket commentary on social media, discussion, jokes, and the best Pakistani memes of 2021. However, as soon as Pakistan won, the meme-fest got even stronger. Pakistanis expressed their happiness over the victory of green-shirts in several memes. One person commented that no one would notice even if he committed a murder, referring to the abundance of memes on social media and how everyone was busy enjoying those. The angry cricket fan Sarim Akhtar also recreated his viral meme from the 2019 match between Pakistan and Australia. His disappointment was captured in a camera when Asif Ali dropped a crucial catch of David Warner. However, when Pakistan won, Akhtar showed how happy he was by changing his frown to a big smile.
No Shalwar November
Pakistani Tiktoker Alina Khan shared a video wearing a kameez without the Shalwar, and everyone lost their mind. She also posted comments sharing her views that wearing Shalwar was only a formality and the dupatta is useless as both of them make “you” feel ugly. Some thirsty men supported the idea and shared their pant-less pictures under her video. However, the majority trolled her and called her stupid. She deleted all of her posts after receiving scathing backlash.
Maryam Nawaz at Son’s Wedding
Maryam Nawaz’s son Junaid Safdar tied the knot in December, which became one of the most viral affairs this year. The bride and groom looked grand, but the politician grabbed more attention. Social media users joked about how the groom’s mother was “overdressed” for the occasion and stole the bride’s thunder. Some even compared her with the famous antagonist from the 2001 Star Plus show, Kasauti Zindagi Ki.
