Waqar Zaka Wiki, Age, Girlfriend, Wife, Kids, Family, Biography & More

Waqar Zaka is a famous Pakistani TV host and crypto trader. He is famous for hosting the TV reality game show ‘Living on the Edge’ (2004).

Contents

1 Wiki/Biography
2 Physical Appearance
3 Family, Caste and Wife
4 livelihood
5 controversies
6 award
7 Favorite
8 Facts/General Knowledge

Wiki/Biography

Waqar was born on Thursday, 17 July 1993 (age 45 years; as of 2023), date of birth is confirmed by Waqar Zaka in his conversation with StarsUnfolded. He was born in Tehran, Iran. His zodiac sign is Cancer. He did his schooling from BVS Parsi High School. Later, he joined Adamjee Government Science College in Karachi to complete his graduation in civil engineering and then, he joined NED University of Engineering and Technology in Karachi to complete his pre-engineering. He attended the New York Film Academy in the United States to complete a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Film Production.

Physical Appearance

Height (Approx): 5′ 11″

Hair Color: Black

Eye colour: black

Family, Caste and Wife

Waqar was born in a Sunni Muslim family. His father, Zaka-ud-din worked for the United Nations. Waqar’s father is originally from Jaipur, India. His mother’s name is Samia Yaseem. Waqar has three sisters. Waqar is not married in 2019.

Waqar Zaka and his father

Waqar Zaka with his mother

Waqar Zaka with his parents and sister

livelihood

As a singer and actor

At the age of 15, he wrote the song ‘Nahi Parha Mein Ne Pura Saal’, which became a huge hit. He has acted in the Pakistani telefilm “Phuppi Ka Boy Ya Khala Ka Boy” (2011). In this he played the character of Sameer.

As a VJ and host

After completing a film production course from New York, he started his career as a VJ and TV host with ARY Digital, a TV channel in Pakistan. He was a VJ of TV shows based on live calls and discussions. In 2004, he suggested the idea of making a dare game show to the producers of ARY Digital, which was initially rejected. Zaka recorded some adventure videos and aired it on ARY channel. His idea was appreciated by the audience, later, he launched the TV game reality show “Living on the Edge”. The show was aired on ARY Music and became an instant hit.

Waqar Zaka in Living on the Edge

In 2006, he launched another TV show ‘XPOSED’, which was based on exposing underground activities and covert criminal activities in Pakistan. The show went on air for a short time but left a huge impact on Pakistani media.

Waqar Zaka in XPOSED

In an interview, Zaka said,

I brought new ideas to the industry. From Living on the Edge to Exposed, all my shows were later copied by both local and international media. I am not going to say this, Hindustan Times has also accepted this.

In 2006, he was promoted to the position of Vice President at ARY Digital. He launched a TV reality show ‘Desi Kurian’ in 2017. The show was conceptualized by Obaid Khan and Jerges Seja. The show was a huge hit as its concept focused on the urban lifestyle of women in Pakistan. Later in an interview he said,

I did not want to do Desi Kuria, it spoiled my image a lot. People will accuse me of promoting values against our culture through the show. He even had a problem with me being the only male host among the 12 contestants.

Waqar Zaka in Desi Kurriyan

In 2008, he appeared on ARY Digital’s Morning Live show, in which Zaka challenged people who claimed to have supernatural powers and bring jinn or ghosts. He launched another TV show named ‘King of Street Magic’ in 2014. The show provided a platform for aspiring conspiracy theorists, illusionists, and paranormal investigators. Later, the show was banned by the Pakistani government due to its sensitive and controversial content.

Waqar Zaka in King of Street Magic

In 2015, he appeared in a show ‘Line Pe Ajao’ during the ICC Cricket World Cup. He said in an interview,

While all the TV channels would focus on the match, I would be in the crowd, talking to them and watching their vendetta against the opposing team. Just imagine what it would be like to be in the stands of a Pakistan vs India cricket match and have that action live for mobile phone users.”

In 2019, he hosted ‘Champions’, a youth-based TV reality show aired on BOL Entertainment.

as a politician

In 2013, he contested the Pakistani general election for the seat of the National Assembly of Pakistan from the Karachi NA-253 constituency. He secured only 31 votes out of a total of 211,768 votes. In April 2019, he announced ‘Tehreek-e-Tek’, a political movement in Pakistan with the ambition of repaying Pakistani debt. In an interview on Samaa TV’s show “Naya Din” he said,

Since I am an engineering graduate from NED University, I realized that technology is the only way to repay Pakistan’s debt,” he said on SAMAA TV’s morning show Naya Din.

as a philanthropist

Waqar is one of Pakistan’s most popular philanthropists. He has been working for the welfare of the Muslim community across the world for a long time. He helped the Rohingya people (an Indo-Aryan ethnic group that practices Islam and lives mostly in Myanmar’s Rakhine state) living in Sittwe, Burma. This community has long been facing discrimination and brutality from some extremist groups in Burma. So Zaka went there and helped them with the help of the Pakistani government. He went to places where big NGOs had failed to reach. He made a documentary on the people living there and uploaded it to Facebook with the slogan “Nike tax, put it on Facebook”.

Waqar Zaka with children in Burma

He also met Muslims suffering from attacks in Syria. He helped families living in the war-torn Syrian city of Aleppo by relocating them to Turkey and providing them with proper housing. The main objective of his foundation “Waqar Zaka Foundation” is to personally reach out to the needy people and help them with the donations collected by him.

Waqar Zaka’s charity work for Syria

He has launched #BhaiJaan campaign to help the victims of cyber crime, acid attack and molestation.

Waqar Zaka’s campaign

As a social media influencer

In 2010, he started the concept of ‘selfie video’ in Pakistan. He uploaded his travel vlogs on his Facebook account. He inspired people to work for the welfare of needy people across the world. He became the first Pakistani to create content for Korean app ‘LINE’ and Chinese app ‘Zapya’. On this achievement he said,

Thank Allah for being the first Pakistani to create content for the Korean app LINE. First Pakistani showbiz personality to be appointed by a Chinese company for content creation on social media. Presence at Zapya Head Office. Download Zapya, because I will be launching a lot of contests for all of you.”

In 2016, he became one of the most famous Pakistani celebrities on Snapchat. He uploads photos on Snapchat related to sexual awareness, Islamic concepts, and other infotainment topics.

A scene from Waqar’s live video

as an entrepreneur

He was associated with cryptocurrencies OneCoin and Bitcoin in 2017, but the company defrauded him. Therefore, they decided to launch their own coin with the name ‘Oicoin’. He did a private crowd-selling of it through his Snapchat account. In 2018, he founded “TenUp Nation”, a company based on blockchain technology with the aim of using profits for the welfare of people.

Waqar Zaka with his TenUp Nation team

controversies

In 2017, Zaka was in the news for harassing a girl in Karachi. Later, a local man ‘Junaid’ (the girl’s boyfriend) had a fight with Jaka. Later the matter was resolved between both the parties. Waqar told StarsUnfolded that Junaid was a drug dealer and the gang beat him up because he exposed them in his show ‘XPOSED’ on ARY MUSIK.

In 2018, he was arrested by Karachi Police for hiding liquor in his car. Waqar denied this and said,

I don’t know what’s going on, or what’s being broadcast on the news. What have I done? What substance have I taken? There is news that non-local liquor has been found in my car. Please, read the FIR lodged with the police. If you can’t read it, please find someone who can.” If you have glass in your house or car – regardless of whether you are using it or not – you will be detained by the police. Since there was a mirror in my car and I was not even using it, the police took me into custody and informed me that an FIR would be filed. Later, the court found that no liquor or hookah was found in his car and the case was dismissed.

Waqar was again in the news in 2019 for his post on Facebook. He posted,

Allah, please forgive me for posting content that was destroying young minds; I feel really bad for being harsh on Living on the Edge. I hope that all the contestants who faced my anger will also forgive me. Allah, please help me to create content that will practically help people in need.

award

1997: Won award from BBC Asia for being the youngest pop duet band of Pakistan

2015: Pakistan Achievement Award, UK for using social media to help humanity in war zones

2017: Shaheen Gold Medal Award from Nazriya Pakistan Council for social and humanitarian work in war-torn areas of Syria and Myanmar (received from Abdul Qadir Khan)

Waqar Zaka receives award for his charity work

Favorite

Singer: Honey Singh and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Rock Band: Noori

Food: Seafood and Biryani

Song: Raat Jaagegi by Noori

Adventure Sports: Skydiving and scuba diving

Punch Line: Expect the unexpected!

Facts/General Knowledge

In an interview, Waqar told that when he was in the last year of graduation, he had seen the advertisement of VJ Hunt of ARY Digital. He went for the audition but was not allowed to enter the gate. Then he gave 200 PKR (Pakistani Rupees) to the watchmen. The watchmen then allowed him to enter the gate but based on his looks, Zaka was rejected in the audition.

Reportedly, the format of the TV game reality show ‘Living on the Edge’ is copied from India’s TV game reality show, MTV Roadies. But according to Waqar’s statement, it was originally his idea. He said that the producers of MTV Roadies had sent him a mail asking for permission to copy the format of their show.

He revealed in an interview that he was the first choice to host ‘Jeeto Pakistan’ (2014), which is similar to Aamir Liaquat’s ‘Inam Ghar’ (2014). Zaka said,

I can’t copy Aamir Liaquat, it’s not my style.”

Zaka was rumored to be dating Sanam Jung (Pakistani actress), to which he said,

This is the worst gossip I have heard. I have never even met Sanam and social media has spread these baseless rumours. I am single, not dating anyone. It is important that I make this clear because ‘his honor is being destroyed.’

They have participated in various festivals including Tomorrow Land and Ultra Music Festival; Because he is an EDM (Electronic Dance Music) lover.

Waqar Zaka at a Tomorrowland event