Zubair Qureshi
Islamabad
Girls in Pakistan in general, and Gilgit-Baltistan, in particular, are calling for the end of social and cultural taboos and adversities that bar them from reaching the best of their potential in all the arenas of life.
These talented and courageous girls have shown a remarkable resilience by making huge impact in society while playing active role in different areas including in the field of sports.
Misbah Hina hailing from Hunza, the picturesque valley of Gilgit-Baltistan, is one of the young female leaders who are striving to change the socio-cultural landscape of the society, which has been inherently suppressive towards its female population.
While recently getting graduated from University of Punjab, with Masters in Sports Sciences, Misbah, the youngest of her nine siblings, seven sisters and a brother, is a national volleyball player and a skier as well.
She is also heading women’s wing of the Islamabad Ski Association, where she provides ski training to young girls and among nine girls selected from across Pakistan and the only girl from GB to participate in a week-long program in the US to address gender-based violence (GBV) through sports in Pakistan.
“Playing sports highly contributes in physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of the girls”, Misbah, while talking to Pakistan Observer here on Tuesday.
She said it’s her strong desire that every girl in Pakistan must express her physical and mental prowess to break the patriarchal shackles and start playing one sports or another.
She gives credit of her success and achievements to her parents. Her mother is the first female teacher of Gojal upper Hunza who taught hundreds of girls students in her 40 years’ service. Her father is also a retired teacher, one of the pioneers of education in the region, who retired from service four years ago.
