Arfa Karim's death was sudden, unexpected and a huge loss for Pakistan. The nation already has a dearth of heroes the youth can look up to and Arfa's loss has left a void that cannot be filled. She was an incredibly talented girl who had a bright future ahead of her and would have benefited numerous youngsters in Pakistan as she was the perfect role model.
Arfa became the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) in the world when she was just nine years old in 2004. She was then invited by Bill Gates to visit the Microsoft headquarters in the United States. Her remarkable achievement was duly recognised by President Pervez Musharraf. In a country where the accomplishments by youth are largely ignored and not highlighted, this was a great gesture. She received the Salam Pakistan Youth Award from President Pervez Musharraf in August 2005. In the same year Arfa also received the Presidential Award for Pride of Performance and is the youngest recipient of the award so far. On the occasion of the 113th birth anniversary of Mohtarma Fatimah Jinnah she was awarded the Fatima Jinnah gold medal in Science & Technology by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
Arfa is just one of the few examples where Pervez Musharraf has supported and encouraged the youth. He has always realised the immense potential of the young generation and gave them more empowerment. It was during Musharraf's tenure that the voting age was lowered to 18 years, giving youth the chance to voice their opinions and decide their future. The Higher Education Commission was set up in 2003 and, in the subsequent 6 years, 43 universities were initiated, research output grew to 400 percent and student enrolment tripled from 125,000 to 375,000. To increase his interaction with youth, he started his Facebook page and to date remains the most popular Pakistani leader on the social network.
Population's current median age is 21.6 years in Pakistan - a huge potential that needs to be fully exploited. Providing youngsters with the right resources and opportunities is important so that they can be properly motivated. It is up to the government to consistently recognise and reward the achievements of our young people like Pervez Musharraf did in the case of Arfa Karim.