There are precious few events in Pakistan left worth celebrating, but from time to time, a ray of light shines stronger than all of the travails and misfortunes the country seems destined to suffer. One of them is a woman who has rendered this nation proud. Her name is Samina Baig and she is the first Pakistani woman to scale Mount Everest, reaching the summit last weekend. With this daring feat, Samina has shone a light on the closeted potential of Pakistani women who, more often than not, are oppressed and their capabilities stifled in their patriarchal homeland. This is not Samina’s first mountain climbing adventure — she has scaled and conquered virgin peaks like Chashkin Sar and Koh-i-Brobar. It seems that Everest, the world’s highest peak, was the natural next option for this feisty young 21-year-old. Samina Baig has hit two birds with one stone: she has broken a huge record and has given Pakistanis something to smile about. Some would say the latter accomplishment was the more difficult task.
What Samina has done is help change the image of Pakistani women in the world. She has shown just how ambitious, driven and capable they are once given the opportunity and freedom to realize their immense potential.
Ismailimail 