Honoured with Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, one of the highest civilian awards of Pakistan, the Karachi-based actress is said to be close to Dawood Ibrahim, who allegedly funds Pakistani films and had used his clout to back Hayat in a few movies.

 

Pictures of the 37-year-old actress, who is followed by over 1.4 million people on Twitter, went viral with some harsh comments as trolls cornered Hayat for her alleged acquaintance with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

 

A leading Hindi news channel in India even went ahead and aired Hayat's links with Dawood Ibrahim, rekindling old memories of the don's affair with a few Bollywood heroines in the 80s and 90s.

 

And it's not only Dawood Ibrahim, as sources said that several leading cricketers, including Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, are close to the glamour girl of the Urdu film Industry.

 

Last year, when Hayat was honoured with Tanmgha-i-Imtiaz, social media went abuzz with all kinds of stories and rumours that she got the award on the basis of her close relations with one the most powerful people in Karachi. A prominent website even hinted about her closeness with Dawood Ibrahim.

 

The Pakistani actress hit headlines when two of her recent films broke records at the box office. Earlier in 2017, her film 'Punjab Nahi Jaungi' made the Karachi girl a heart throb in the neighbourhood.

 

Known for her pretty looks, Hayat is also a top singing star in Pakistan and often plays host to some of the well-known personalities, which includes cricketers, politicians and industrialists.

 

Media reports say that Hayat shot to fame after doing an item number in a Pakistani film. She got in touch with Dawood Ibrahim who used his clout in the Pakistani film industry and got her a few high budget movies.

 

Dawood (64), who leads the notorious D-Company, reportedly funds the local film industry and is well connected with top producers and directors in Karachi and Lahore.

 

On being trolled on Twitter, Hayat said that it is a conspiracy against her by those who are jealous of her name and fame. Sources close to Hayat claimed that she has no links with the mafia or criminal gangs.

 

Meanwhile, several Indians slammed her on Twitter saying that Hayat is close to a don who is accused of killing several hundreds of innocent people in the Mumbai serial bombings of 1993.

 

People also questioned Pakistan government's decision of awarding Hayat with one of the highest civilian awards which has been earlier given to the likes of legendary singer Noorjehan, among others.

 

"Nobody knew her till she got this award (Tamgh-i-Imtiaz)," someone from Karachi took a jibe at the actress, who's also seen as an item girl.