Islamabad
On International Women’s Day, Pakistan Army’s media wing released a song to pay tribute to the ‘Daughters of Pakistan’ and highlight the strong commitment, active role and participation of women in every sphere of life.
Army’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) tweeted the video along with a statement from Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Jawed Bajwa.
In his message, the COAS said, “We are proud of [the] role and contributions of our women in uniform, back home and especially the ones who belong to martyrs’ families. The great Pakistani women have a role and responsibility towards progress of Pakistan.”
To pay tribute to Pakistani women, ISPR released a song titled ‘Mujhe Aagey Jana Hai’ (I have to achieve more) which portrays women from various fields from politics to sports to army to education, taking on different roles, mainly those that are traditionally dominated by men.
The song’s words’ ‘Lachar naheen, taaqat hoon mein, kamzor naheen, himmat hoon mein (I am not helpless, I am strength; I am not weak, I am courage)’ signifies a message of the resilience of women.
The video highlights how Pakistani women are excelling in physically challenging activities such as mountaineering, martial arts, boxing, cricket, athletics, hockey and soccer. Pakistan’s sports stars showcased in the video include the fastest woman in South Asia, Naseem Hameed, and members of the women’s cricket team, football and hockey teams as well as Samina Baig, the first Pakistani woman to climb Mount Everest.
The active participation of women in Pakistan’s politics is depicted in the video with pictures of Fatima Jinnah, one of the leading founders of Pakistan; Benazir Bhutto, the Muslim world’s first female leader; former National Assembly speaker Fahmida Mirza, and Pakistan’s envoy to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi.
Acknowledging the contribution of Pakistani women serving in the armed forces, taking on infantry and counter-terrorist roles, and flying fighter jets, the video highlights the role of Shahida Malik, Shahida Badshah and Nigar Johar — each of whom served as an army general. The first female pilot of Pakistan Air Force, Marium Mukhtar, who sacrificed her life in line of duty, is also seen in the video.
Prominent social workers and activists such as Ruth Pfau, Bilquis Edhi, Malala Yousafzai and Muniba Mazari are shown in the video.
The role of Pakistani women musicians such as Sufi singer Abida Parveen, Nazia Hasan, Noor Jehan, Misha Shafi, and Farida Khanum is also highlighted.
