ISLAMABAD: As the world prepares to bid farewell to an eventful 2024 and welcome the new year, here is a list of five Pakistani women who shattered stereotypes and made history by dominating in their respective fields ranging from politics to mountaineering, and sports to music. 

Maryam Nawaz Sharif

Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the daughter of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, made history in February after she was elected as the first woman chief minister of a Pakistani province. 

After her Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party won the highest number of seats after a contentious election in February, Sharif was elected as the chief minister of the country’s richest and most populous Punjab province. 

She formally joined politics in 2012 and became increasingly involved in politics during her father’s four-year, self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2023. In 2019, she was appointed vice president of the PML-N, leading anti-government rallies throughout the country against then prime minister Imran Khan’s government. 

Political opponents and critics, however, say her election to the chief minister’s post is an example of the enduring influence of feudal politics in Pakistan. 

Ayla Majid

In November, Ayla Majid became the first South Asian and Muslim to be elected president of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), a global accountancy body.

Majid is the chief executive officer of a firm that advises on decarbonization, sustainability, and energy transition. Majid is leading more than 252,500 members and 526,000 future members of ACCA across 180 countries during her year-long term in office. 

She has over 20 years of experience in energy, transaction advisory, mergers and acquisitions, investments and corporate governance. Majid holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of London.

Arooj Aftab

Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab earned Grammy nominations for the fourth time in a row in November. Her single “Raat Ki Rani” earned a nomination in the Best Global Music Performance, category while her album, “Night Reign” has earned a nomination for the Best Alternative Jazz Album category. 

This category honors vocal or instrumental albums where new alternative jazz recordings comprise more than 75 percent of the playing time.

In 2022, Aftab became the first Pakistani singer to win a Grammy for her song ‘Mohabbat’ in the Best Global Music Performance category.

Naila Kiani

In May, Dubai-based mountaineer Naila Kiani became the first Pakistani woman to summit Mount Makalu, the fifth-highest mountain in the world. The tremendous achievement also brought another feather to Kiani’s cap, as it made her the first and only Pakistani woman to summit 11 out of 14 mountains that stand 8,000 meters above sea level.

Kiani had previously summited Broad Peak (8,047 meters), Annapurna (8,091 meters), K2 (8,611 meters), Lhotse (8,516 meters), Gasherbrum 1 (8,068 meters), Gasherbrum II (8,035 meters), Nanga Parbat (8,125 meters), Mount Everest (8,849 meters), Manaslu (8,156 meters) and Cho Oyu (8,201 meters) mountains. 

The mother of two, who is also a banker by profession, garnered fame in 2018 after her wedding photos from K2’s base camp were widely shared on social media. She is also a recipient of the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s third-highest civilian award, which she received in March 2024 for climbing Mount Everest. 

Saleema Imtiaz

Saleema Imtiaz became the first Pakistani woman to be nominated to the International Cricket Council’s International Panel of Development Umpires in September. The nomination qualifies Imtiaz, 52, to officiate in women’s bilateral international matches and ICC Women’s Events.

Imtiaz, mother of Pakistan women’s international player Kainat Imtiaz, began her umpiring career with the Pakistan Cricket Board Women’s Umpires Panel in 2008. Her extensive experience includes officiating in high-profile events under the Asian Cricket Council such as the 2022 and 2024 ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup and the 2023 ACC Emerging Women’s Cup in Hong Kong.

ISLAMABAD: Ayaz Sadiq, speaker of the lower house of Pakistan’s parliament, has summoned an in-camera meeting of negotiation teams of the government and the opposition on Jan. 2, the National Assembly Secretariat said on Monday, amid efforts to ease prolonged political tensions in the country.
The development came a week after the government and the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of former prime minister Imran Khan held the first round of formal negotiations on Dec. 23, with the PTI asked to present its demands in writing at the next session.

Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary no-trust vote in 2022 has plunged Pakistan into a political crisis, particularly since the PTI founder was jailed in August last year on corruption and other charges and remains behind bars. His party and supporters have regularly held protests calling for his release, with many of the demonstrations turning violent.
“The Honorable Speaker, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, will chair a 2nd meeting (in-camera) on negotiations between Treasury and Opposition on Thursday, the 2nd of January, 2025,” the National Assembly Secretariat said in a notification on Monday.
Khan previously rejected talks with the government, saying his party would only talk to the “real powerbrokers” in Pakistan, the all-powerful army, but earlier this month he set up a negotiating committee of top party members to open a dialogue with the government for the fulfilment of two demands: the release of political prisoners and the establishment of judicial commissions to investigate protests on May 9 last year and Nov. 26 this year, which the government says involved his party supporters, accusing them of attacking military installations and government buildings.

The talks opened days after Khan threatened a civil dissidence movement and amid growing concerns he may face trial by a military court for allegedly inciting attacks on sensitive security installations during the May 9 protests.
Sadiq last week said the first round of talks were held in a “cordial” environment, calling them vital to end “political polarization” in the country.
“Since some members of the opposition could not join the talks today, we have decided to hold the next meeting on Jan. 2,” he said on Dec. 23. “The opposition will also present a charter of demands in the meeting.”
Speaking to the media after the talks, Khan’s close aide, Asad Qaiser, said the PTI team had asked the government to release all political prisoners, including the former prime minister, and form a judicial commission, comprising senior Supreme Court judges, to probe the May 9 and Nov. 26 protests.
“We should be allowed to hold a meeting with Imran Khan,” Qaiser said. “He is our leader. We will move forward with his instructions.”

The negotiations came days after Pakistan’s military announced prison sentences for 25 people involved in the May 9 protests, which PTI has demanded be investigated. The PTI has also repeatedly said it fears the government and military will try Khan in army courts for the May 9 violence. He is already being tried for the violence in a civilian court.