The people that made us proud and contributed towards creating a better image of Pakistan worldwide!
Pakistan has been blessed with a lot of people and many of them are widely recognized around the world. For instance, who in the world doesn’t know about Abdus Sattar Edhi or Jahangir Khan, Wasim Akram or Malala Yousufzai etc. However, there are a number of Pakistani people including children as well that have done something really amazing in their lifetimes but unfortunately they are known to just a few.
In this article, I've tried to list down and describe a few of those Pakistanis.
Sikander Bizenjo
Sikander hails from Balochistan that is the least developed province of Pakistan. However, that didn’t undermine him from doing the great things. He went on to study Development Economics in the UK. During the widespread of corona in Pakistan, he knew that corona would have biggest impact in the poorest part of his country; Balochistan. Realizing that, he co-founded a community namely “Balochistan Youth Against Corona” and now with the help of local government, aid organizations and donations from throughout the country, he is raising funds to provide monthly ration and personal protective equipment to +10,000 households in Balochistan. Very few of Pakistanis know about Sikander, however, his efforts have been praised by Bill Gates who described Sikander’s heroic effort as “the best of humanity at a time of crisis”.
Aitzaz Hasan (1998–2014)
Who doesn’t know Malala Yousufzai who survived an assassination attempt by Taliban in 2014. But not many know about the 15 year old Aitzaz who lost his life on January 7th, 2014, while preventing a suicide bomber from entering his school in Hangu, a district in Kohat Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is said that Aitzaz saved the lives of nearly 2,000 people that were present within and outside the school premises that morning. He was later hailed as a shaheed (a martyr) and a national hero and was later awarded the Sitara-e-Shujaat (star of bravery) which is second-highest civil award for bravery bestowed by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. He was also named as the Herald’s Person of the Year for 2014.
Iqbal Masih (1983–1995)
Iqbal Masih was born in 1983 in Muridke, an industrial city near Lahore. He started working in the carpet factory when he was only five years old. Soon her mother took a loan of just PKR 5000 (USD 200 at that time) from carpet factory owner, it was in the name of Iqbal, thats when his debt slavery began. A few times, Iqbal tried to ran away from the factory but every time he was caught by the factory owner and his agents who would chain him up, and beat very badly. They would even hung him up from the fan sometimes. One lucky day, he was able to sneak out from the factory, jumped on the back of a tractor, and reached Lahore, where he later on joined the Bonded Labour Liberation Front, BLLF.
BLLF gave Iqbal a platform where he started his activism and in just a couple of years, he was able to help nearly three thousand children escape from carpet factories in Muridke. This made the factory owners very angry and they started running after his life. On the eve of Ester in 1995, Iqbal was shot dead in his home town. Iqbal’s murder was initially called an accident but it is evident from the facts that it was not an accident and was assassinated by the agents of the carpet industry in Muridke.
Iqbal’s legacy continues to inspire activists in Pakistan and around the world who work to end child labor especially bonded child labor. He is remembered as a hero for his bravery and determination in the face of adversity.
Mahbub-ul-Haq (1934–98)
Mahbub ul Haq was a Pakistani economist and politician. He was a key figure in the development of human development theory. He served as the Minister of Finance of Pakistan, Chief Economist of the Planning Commission of Pakistan and later as the Special Adviser to the UN Development Programme. He is best known for co-authoring the Human Development Report, which introduced the Human Development Index (HDI) as a means of measuring a country’s progress beyond traditional measures of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) i.e., through incorporating elements such as education and life expectancy, as well as standard measures of income and wealth as a measure of a country’s social and economic progress. Haq is considered a pioneer in the field of human development and his work continues to have a major impact on development thinking and policy.
Ayesha Farooq
Ayesha Farooq is Pakistan and South Asia’s first female fighter pilot. She joined the Pakistan Airforce (PAF) in 2013 and broke all the sterotypes in a male dominated armed force of our country after graduating the final squadron exams with flying marks. She is one of the only 18 other female pilots among the 4,000 women in Pakistan’s 1.4million strong armed forces. She is the member of the squadron 20 of the PAF and flies the Chengdu J-7 fighter jet.
Ayesha was born in 1987 in the Hasilpur county of the Bahawalpur district. Her father died when she was very little and she along with her sister was then raised by her mother. She often speak about how her mother raised them in a society like Pakistan where it is not easy for a single mother to raise her children without a male protector. Not many people in Pakistan are approving for the girls education and for women to do any job or even join the forces, however her mother was very supportive right from the start and played the biggest role for Ayesha to become who she is today. Today, her story is inspiring and motivating millions of young girls and women in Pakistan to achieve their dreams.
In conclusion, these are some of the unsung heroes of Pakistan that have made immeasurable contributions to society, often without recognition or reward. Their selflessness and dedication has always serve as an inspiration to us all. They embody the spirit of sacrifice and service, making a positive impact on society despite limited resources and recognition. It is therefore, our duty to acknowledge and celebrate their efforts, as they are the backbone of our communities and nation. Let us strive to create a society where such heroes are celebrated and their efforts are recognized and supported and may their legacy live on!