Female pilots in Pakistan are rare and truly impressive, not only for their success but also for breaking stereotypes and becoming stronger in a dangerous and overall tough profession. However, 2021 is not the year that the Pakistan Air force PAF finally let in females.

Every time a female pilot joins the list of commercial pilots, it’s a big piece of news. However, this time, it’s even bigger! The daughter of a Sindh Traffic Warden Shakir Ahmad Malik became the first female General Duty (GD) pilot in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

Some Women Pilot in PAF

The first female fighter pilot in PAF history is Ayesha Farooq, who was commissioned in 2013. She was the 19th female pilot in the PAF, but the only one ready for battle. She now flies missions in a Chinese-made Chengdu J7 fighter jet with her 24 male colleagues in Squadron 20.

Colonel Ahmed Mukhtiar’s daughter Maryam Mukhtiar was also from Karachi. Maryam was the first female pilot to put her life on the line of duty when her plane crashed near Kundian village in Mianwali district on November 24, 2015.

Sharista Baig, Col. Mahmood Baig, was the first female GD pilot in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Daughter of Squadron Leader Ahmed Junaid, Kainat Junaid, is another inspiring female fighter pilot. She was from Balambat, Lower Dir, and was the first female fighter pilot from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Speaking of inspiring women in the skies, we should remember Shukria Khanum who was Pakistan’s first female commercial pilot. she qualified as a pilot in 1959 after graduating from Government College, Lahore. She died due to cancer in 2017 at the age of 82.

Nashrah Shakir become the first GD pilot from Karachi

Nashrah Shakir hails from the city of Karachi. She has been promoted after getting commissioned as Flying Officer. As it appears, Nashrah studied at the Meritorious Defense Chapter tuition center.

 The tuition center’s social media account congratulated her on this achievement and shared her picture.

They posted “We congratulate our talented student, Nashrah Shakir, and her proud parents on getting a commission in the Pakistan Air Force as a Flying Officer in GDP. May Allah gives her more success in the line of duty”.

GD Pilot is a prestigious position in PAF. These pilots can fly more powerful aircraft and are not limited to location limits. In addition, they have aviation rules.

People on social media have also praised her for breaking stereotypes and expressed the hope that her appointment would pave the way for more women who want to join the Air Force. A happy picture of Pakistan’s new GD pilot is also circulating on Twitter.

While many may say that the path is short and easy to achieve, what matters is how women like Nashrah go beyond the typical degrees and achieve their dreams.

Women like Nashrah who are working in famous institutions of Pakistan are setting a great example for all the people out there. That is, empowering women is not only beneficial for her own self. In fact, it benefits men, society, community and the economy as a whole. Maryam Mujtaba is one of them – Kashmir’s first female pilot.

Last year, PAF selected Rahul Dev as a General Duty (GD) pilot in the squad. He is the first Hindu to reach this level in PAF. Dev hails from Tharparkar, a small village in Sindh. Hopefully, our nation is moving towards betterment.