Peshawar: A 14-year-old women’s rights activist from Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Hadiqa Bashir, became the first Pakistani girl to receive the Asian Girls Human Rights Ambassador award on Monday.
The 14-years-old young girl from KPK was selected from among 4 girls for the award which was given to her on the International Day of the Girl Child, which is also entitled as Taiwan Girls’ Day, during an event conducted by the Garden of Hope Foundation and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan.
She dedicated her award to the lawyers who were killed in a suicide attack outside the civil hospital In Quetta in August as well as to the Kashmiris who continue to face violence in India-held Kashmir.
While receiving her award she called for the right of Kashmiris to self-determination and condemned the violence committed by Indian forces in IHK, asking for them to be stopped.
While receiving in the ceremony, she said:
“I stand in unity along with the mothers, sister as well as brothers of Kashmir who are the victims of violence performed against them by the forces of India.”
“Pakistan is a country that loves peace while the daughters of Pakistan do not support war because they believe war cannot bring peace. Wars only bring devastation.”
Upon receiving the award, Hadiqa promised to:
“Fight for the rights of women as well as of young girls, from Syria to Palestine, Kashmir and Myanmar”, as well as raise her voice for her “Muslim sisters and sisters from the entire Asia.”
Iftikhar Hussain, father of Hadiqa, said that it was the happiest day of his life to see his daughter receiving the award for an honorable reason.
While talking to some media sources he said, “What else can a father ask from a daughter than such a big subject of pride
Really, she has made me as well as our country proud today,” he added.
Last year, Hadiqa Bashir got international recognition after being presented the third Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for dedicating her life to finishing the practice of child marriages in the country.
“The award confirms my conviction that along with the truth, courage and determination as our weapons, my country, Pakistan will be freed from every type of injustice and violence.
I did not make the journey here alone. Several people have supported me on the way,” she said at that time.
