Golden girl: UAE expat is UN’s first Pakistani Girl Up teen adviser

Lamya Butt at the Dubai Scholars Model United Nations in February 2020 - (AN Photo courtesy Lamya Butt)
Short Url
Updated 13 July 2021
Follow

Golden girl: UAE expat is UN’s first Pakistani Girl Up teen adviser

  • Lamya Butt is first Girl Up regional leader from MENA region, responsible for growth of more than 70 clubs in over 17 countries 
  • Girl Up is a UN Foundation initiative to give girls in developing countries equal access to education, health, economic opportunities

DUBAI: When lockdowns were imposed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last year after the outbreak of the coronavirus, Pakistani expat Lamya Butt came across a newspaper article on domestic violence that would change the course of her life in the next few months.

The 17-year-old resident of Dubai, whose family hails from the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, said she was upset by the article but also resolved to work toward creating a violence-free world for women and girls.




Lamya Butt, the UN's first Pakistani Girl Up teen advisor from the UAE, is seen with her family in Dubai in December 2020. (AN Photo courtesy Lamya Butt)

For a teenager, however, the possibilities to push for change seemed “limited,” Butt told Arab News in an interview on Monday.

But then she came across Girl Up, an initiative launched by the United Nations Foundation in 2010 to give adolescent girls in developing countries an equal chance at education, health, social and economic opportunities as well as a life free from violence. There could not have been a more tailor-made project for Butt to pursue her passions, she said.

At the end of 2020, Butt applied for Girl Up’s teen advisers’ program, and in May this year became one of 25 girls selected from 500 applicants around the world, with the Teen Advisory Board writing to inform her: “You have truly impressed us with your deep passion for change, leadership experience, and skill sets.”

“This was a huge moment for my family because they had seen me toil to achieve this goal and since I am the first Teen Adviser from the UAE, the happiness doubled,” Butt said. “For me, it meant empowerment.”

Today, Butt is Girl Up’s first teen adviser from the UAE and the first Pakistani to be appointed to the role. She is also the first regional leader from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, responsible for the growth and development of more than 70 clubs in over 17 countries. She is also helping to plan and execute the upcoming Girl Up Summit’s World Tour for MENA. 

“Our focus will be on breaking the gender stereotypes in the region,” Butt said.

On Sunday, she organized a conference on MENA leadership whose attendees included WWE Wrestler Natalya Neidhart, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Maya Ghazal, Emirati STEM genius Alia Al Mansoori, and the first Emirati Aeronautical Engineer, Dr. Suaad Al Shamsi.

The event was held ahead of Girl Up’s two-day virtual Global Leadership Summit that begins on Wednesday.

Panelists at the event include Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, UN deputy secretary general Amina J. Mohammed, Forbes 30 Under 30 in Science, and TIME’s “Top Young Innovator” Gitanjali Rao, actor, filmmaker and author Justin Baldoni and WWE superstar Sonya Deville.




A screenshot of the MENA Girl Up Summit which Pakistan expat Lamya Butt organized on July 11, 2021. (AN Photo courtesy Lamya Butt)

Thus far, Girl Up’s leadership development programs have impacted 85,500 girls in nearly 125 countries and all 50 US states.

With an acceptance rate of just five percent, Girl Up’s Teen Adviser initiative is its most competitive program. Collectively, Girl Up Teen Advisers have raised more than $500,000, completed more than 7,000 hours of community service, hosted hundreds of events in their communities around the world and performed thousands of advocacy actions at the local, national, and global levels.

Speaking about her journey with Girl Up, Butt said she was helped by a friend in India “who guided me and, initially, I pitched the idea of setting up a Girl Up club in my school, Dubai Scholars, which was well received.”

Butt has also been involved since May 2021 with UN Women Pakistan and the government of Pakistan, giving policy recommendations to the Ministry of Planning Commission on protecting the rights of minorities and women in general by increasing education and vocational opportunities.

This is how Girl Up executive director Melissa Kilby described Butt’s journey: 

“As part of her application, Lamya shared how her Pakistani heritage motivated her to create Resilient Together, an initiative to advocate for education equity in low-income communities. We value her commitment to social justice, and her storytelling skills as the host of her own podcast that highlights diverse communities in the UAE. Lamya will bring her unique perspective and experiences to a diverse global Teen Advisory Board and to all of Girl Up. Alongside others in this cohort, she will be a role model and also be able to learn from her peers as she refines her voice and platform, inspiring and supporting girls around the world.” 

Butt said the selection process for Girl Up was very lengthy and rigorous and she was required to write essays and make videos explaining why she was fit for the role of a teen adviser. 

In her essay, Butt said, she spoke about how, as a Pakistani, she had found her “own voice” living in the UAE. 

“Growing up in the UAE and seeing the leadership of this country has always inspired me to spread my wings … I never felt like my capabilities were limited because I was a girl,” she said. “I am blessed to live in a country where women are given the opportunities to lead by example and where I am considered no less than a man. I know that in the UAE, my hard work and commitment will take me far, doesn’t matter what gender I am.”


Pakistan parliament approves bills to extend tenure of services chiefs to five years

Updated 04 November 2024
Follow

Pakistan parliament approves bills to extend tenure of services chiefs to five years

  • Extension in services of army, navy and air force chiefs follows controversial amendments to the constitution last month
  • The opposition PTI party condemns the amendments for changing Pakistan “from a democracy into a monarchy”

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Assembly and Senate on Monday approved bills to extend the tenure of the army, navy, and air force chiefs from three to five years, amid protests by the opposition benches. 

The office of the army chief is considered to be the most powerful in the country, with the army having ruled Pakistan for almost half of its 75-year history. Even when not directly in power, the army is considered to be the invisible guiding hand in politics and holds considerable sway in internal security, foreign policy, and economic affairs, among other domains. 

Six bills were passed by the upper and lower houses on Monday evening, including one to increase the term of the services chiefs.

“In the said Act, in section 8A, in sub-section (1), for the expression “three (03)” the word “five (05)” shall be substituted,” read the bill, seeking to amend the Pakistan Army Act, 1952.

Similar bills were passed to increase the duration of the country’s naval and air force chiefs to five years also. 

“The purpose of these amendments are to make consistent the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 (XXXIX of 1952) The Pakistan Navy Ordinance, 1961 (Ordinance No. XXXV of 1961) and The Pakistan Air Force Act, 1953 (VI of 1953) with the maximum tenure of the Chief of the Army Staff, the Chief of the Naval Staff and the Chief of the Air Staff and to make consequential amendments for uniformity in the aforementioned laws.” 

Speaking outside parliament, the chairman of the opposition PTI party, Gohar Ali Khan, said:

“Today, democracy has been changed into a monarchy.”

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub Khan, said “modifying the service chiefs’ tenure is not a good thing for the country and the armed forces.”

The passage of the new bills follows controversial amendments made to the constitution last month, granting lawmakers the authority to nominate the chief justice of Pakistan, who previously used to be automatically appointed according to the principle of seniority.

The amendments allowed the government to bypass the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, and appoint Justice Yahya Afridi as the country’s top judge, replacing former chief justice Qazi Faez Isa. 

The opposition and the legal fraternity had opposed the amendments, arguing that they were aimed at granting more power to the executive in making judicial appointments and curtailing the independence of the judiciary. The government denies this.


Pakistani forces kill six militants in shootouts near border with Afghanistan — military

Updated 04 November 2024
Follow

Pakistani forces kill six militants in shootouts near border with Afghanistan — military

  • Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed a number of attacks recently
  • Pakistan blames the surge in militancy on militants operating out of Afghanistan, Kabul denies the allegations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have killed six militants in two separate engagements in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Monday.
A militant was killed in an exchange of fire during an intelligence-based operation in North Waziristan’s Dosali area, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
In the second incident, Pakistani forces intercepted a group of militants while infiltrating the country’s border with Afghanistan in the South Waziristan district. Five militants were killed as a result.
“Pakistan has consistently been asking Interim Afghan Government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“Interim Afghan Government is expected to fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by Khwarij [militants] for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan.”
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed a number of attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups that targeted security forces convoys and check posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.
Pakistan has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups, urging the Taliban administration in Kabul to prevent its territory from being used by armed factions to launch cross-border attacks.
Afghan officials, however, deny involvement, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.
 


Pakistan Navy test-fires ship-launched ballistic missile ranging 350 kilometers

Updated 04 November 2024
Follow

Pakistan Navy test-fires ship-launched ballistic missile ranging 350 kilometers

  • The missile is capable of striking land and sea targets with ‘high precision’
  • Pakistan, India consider their missile programs as deterrent against each other

KARACHI: Pakistan Navy has successfully test-fired a ship-launched ballistic missile having a range of 350 km and capable of striking both land and sea targets, it said on Monday.
Pakistan sees its missile development as a deterrent against nuclear-armed arch-foe India. Both countries have fought multiple wars since their independence from Britain in 1947.
The two South Asian neighbors have long been developing missiles of varying ranges in a bid to ensure deterrence against possible attacks from each other, with analysts often warning these developments could push the region into an arms race.
“Pakistan Navy conducted a successful flight test of an indigenously developed ship-launched ballistic missile,” the Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR) of Pakistan Navy said in a statement.
“The weapon system with 350km range is capable of engaging land and sea targets with high precision.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikldB3jieWo
The flight test of the weapon system, equipped with a state-of-the-art navigation system and maneuverability features, was witnessed by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, senior naval officers, scientists and engineers.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu congratulated the participating navy units and scientists on the development.
 
 


Qatar investment team due in Pakistan this month, PM Sharif says after Doha visit

Updated 04 November 2024
Follow

Qatar investment team due in Pakistan this month, PM Sharif says after Doha visit

  • The statement comes days after Sharif visited Qatar seeking to bolster economic cooperation between both nations
  • Before arriving in Doha, Sharif attended the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh and met the Saudi Crown Prince

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday a team of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) will visit Pakistan this month to set up an information technology (IT) park in the South Asian country.
The statement came days after Sharif visited Qatar while seeking to bolster economic cooperation amid Pakistan’s efforts to boost foreign investment to stabilize its frail $350 billion economy.
Before arriving in Doha, Sharif attended the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he discussed trade and investment with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Speaking at a meeting of his cabinet, Sharif said a QIA team will visit Pakistan this month, while its chief of Asia-Pacific & Africa Investments, Faisal Bin Thani Al Thani, will also arrive in Islamabad by the end of this month.
“Qatar emir said the same thing. They also suggested setting up an IT park here [in Pakistan],” Sharif told his cabinet members in televised comments.
During his visit, Sharif led delegation-level talks with the Qatari emir before holding a separate meeting with him to discuss a wide array of issues.
“The leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Qatar relations, exploring potential avenues for enhanced cooperation in trade, potential areas of investment, energy, and culture,” Sharif’s office said last week.
He also met a delegation of the Qatar Businessmen Association (QBA) and invited them to invest in Pakistan’s energy, infrastructure and technology sectors.
The developments came amid Pakistan’s attempts to increase trade and foreign investment after it narrowly escaped a default last year by securing a last-gasp $3 billion financial assistance package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The South Asian country has since sought to promote closer economic ties with regional and international allies to bolster its fragile economy, which has been suffering from a prolonged macroeconomic crisis.
 


Pakistan central bank cuts key rate by 250 bps to 15%

Updated 04 November 2024
Follow

Pakistan central bank cuts key rate by 250 bps to 15%

  • Monday’s move follows cuts of 150 bps in June, 100 in July and 200 in September
  • It takes the total policy rate cuts in the country to 700 bps in under five months

KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank cut its key policy rate by 250 basis points to 15 percent on Monday, it said in a statement, for a fourth straight reduction since June, as the country keeps up efforts to revive a sluggish economy with inflation easing.
Most respondents in a Reuters poll last week expected a cut of 200 bps after inflation moved down sharply from a multi-decade high of nearly 40 percent in May 2023, saying reductions were needed to bolster growth.
Average consumer price index inflation in the South Asian country is 8.7 percent in the current financial year, which started in July, the statistics bureau says. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects inflation to average 9.5 percent for the year ending June.
Monday’s move follows cuts of 150 bps in June, 100 bps in July, and 200 in September that have taken the rate from an all-time high of 22 percent, set in June 2023 and left unchanged for a year. It takes the total cuts to 700 bps in under five months.
October inflation came in at 7.2 percent, slightly above the government’s expectation of 6 percent to 7 percent. The finance ministry expects inflation to slow further to 5.5 percent to 6.5 percent in November.
However, inflation could pick up again in 2025, driven by electricity and gas price increases after a new $7-billion IMF bailout, and the potential impact of taxes on the retail, wholesale and the farm sector announced in the June budget to take effect in January 2025, some analysts say.