Rising Pakistani Youth
Youth are the prime architects of the nation. They serve as the backbone of every country, so in short they are a great asset. And it can be said without a moment’s hesitation, that the establishment of Pakistan was possible due to the pivotal role played by the Youth under the guidance of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah who had unwavering faith in them.
On 31st October 1947, he addressed the Punjabi Muslim Students Federation at Lahore and said:
“Pakistan is proud of her youth, particularly the students who have always been in the forefront in the hour of trial and need. You are the nation’s leaders of tomorrow and you must fully equip yourself by discipline, education and training for the arduous task lying ahead of you. You should realise the magnitude of your responsibility and be ready to bear it.”
Our Youth Today
So it is clear that right from the very beginning; we have been blessed with brilliant and hardworking youngsters. However the decade (2004-2014) has just been exceptional. Whether it is in Academics, Information Technology, Arts, Sports, Military training, Contests of all kinds; our youth are a class apart. Let us have a look at some of these gems:
Arfa Karim
In 2004, this nine-year old achieved the status of the youngest MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional). For this reason she got the opportunity to visit Microsoft Headquarters, on a personal invitation by Bill Gates himself. In 2006 she represented Pakistan in the TechEd Developers Conference held in Barcelona; where she was the youngest and only Pakistani among some 5000 developers who were attending. She got numerous awards, one of which was the President’s Pride of Performance award, making her the youngest person to receive it. In 2010 she was also made brand ambassador for PTCL’s 3G wireless broadband EVO. Unfortunately this highly intelligent young girl is no longer with us, but she will always remain an inspiration for all.
Babar Iqbal
He started programming when he was just five years old and this genius has set many world records. In 2006 he became the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and youngest Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA) both, while he was just 9 years old. Then when he was 10, he became the youngest Certified Web Professional Associate (CIWA), followed by becoming youngest Microsoft Student Partners (MSP) at 11 years and the youngest Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) in .NET when he was 12 years old. Then at age 14 he had his first research paper published on a topic of great importance, i.e. Digital Forensic Sciences. He resides in Dubai since 2009, where he is training and working with Microsoft. He launched Student-Cafe: IT for all in 2010 which aims at creating IT awareness throughout the world at all educational levels.
Ahmed Raza Khan
After their initial training (ranging from a year to one and a half) many officer cadets are sent from Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) to train at the Royal Military Academy (RMA), Sandhurst in the UK. Many of them win prestigious awards based on their outstanding performance. In 2006, Raza Khan received the topmost accolade which is the Overseas Sword of Honor (it is given to the cadet who is considered the finest academically as well as practically by the commandment). This was presented by Queen Elizabeth II herself, which is another honor. He was also awarded many other medals for his notable performance in different areas. After this he joined a division of Frontier Force Regiment as second lieutenant.
Ali Moeen Nawazish
In 2009 Ali Nawazish created a world record (which was put into the Guinness book of world records) by passing 23 subjects in A-level, of which he secured 21As. He went on to get a bachelors degree from Cambridge University in 2011, and he has recently enrolled at Columbia University, USA to pursue a Masters in Journalism. He is appointed by Jang & Geo Group as their Youth Ambassador. He writes columns regularly as well as has appeared on many shows as a host, analyst and judge. He has also initiated many projects with the aim of creating a better Pakistan and focuses on youth. These are AMN (Ali Moeen Nawazish/Aman) schools, Step-Up and Twenti3 Group.
(to be continued)