Hunar-e-Hawwa awards conferred on excelling women

PESHAWAR: The Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) has conferred unique “Hunar-e-Hawwa” awards on the distinguished and skilled women of the province to acknowledge their achievements and services for the country and society.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Deputy Speaker Dr Meher Taj Roghani was the chief guest at the awards distribution ceremony held here, said a communiqué on Thursday.

A committee was constituted with Deputy Secretary Sports and Tourism Adil Safi as its chairman to introduce the distinctive awards and select the outstanding women who have excelled in different fields of life.

The awards were divided into different categories, including health, politics, sports, art, law enforcement/civil service, religious sector, entrepreneur, social activism, science & technology, education, special youth award, media and special Hunar-e-Hawwa awards.

The committee had nominated the talented women from various fields for the awards to be conferred on them.

The awards in health category went to Sania Nishtar, who is founder of Heartfile, Health Policy Forum, member of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), recipient of Sitara-e-Imtiaz and winner of European Society Population Award Medical Mission Hall of Fame Toledo, Ohio.

Dr Safoora Shahid is the other winner of the award. She is an oncologist and expert of breast cancer.Begum Nasim Wali Khan has been selected for the award in the category of politics.

Others are Nadia Sher, youngest MPA in history of KP, Badam Zari, first woman from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), who contested general elections of 2013 independently, Nusrat Begum, first female from Malakand Agency to contest general elections in 2013 as independent, Miraj Humayun Khan, politician and social activist, who was awarded with Aizaz-e-Fazeelat award for Education in 2002 by the President of Pakistan.

Awards in sports category went to Sadia Gul, youngest squash champion from Fata, Haleema national cycle champion from KP, Maria Toorpakai, Pakistan’s top female squash player and 49th in the world ranking; Sana Mir, Pakistan’s Women Cricket team captain, who born in Abbottabad.

Zarsanga, the senior most folk artiste from KP, Zaibun Nisa Bangash, from Zeb & Haniya Band, Laila Khan, famous for her fusion song which was sung in five languages: French, English, Arabic, Urdu and Pashto, Haseena Gul Tanha, author of more than eight books on poetry, Shazma Haleem, the senior most artiste, received the art awards

The Law Enforcement/Civil Service awards were conferred on Aneela Naz, who is serving the police for almost two decades, Shazia Minhaj, serving PAF with an excellent record, Maj. Dr Sabahat, serving in Pakistan Army and was appointed in Bajaur Agency after her husband’s death there.

Rafia Qaseem Baig, who is serving in Police Department, is the only female who fought from the front at Matani operation received Law Enforcement/Civil Service award besides Ammara Amir Khattak, the first Deputy Commissioner, Abbottabad. She has also been awarded for her services rendered for the people with disability. She has established a learning institute for visually impaired, focal person All Pakistan Disable Sports Competition for Department of Sports.

The awards in religious category went to Dr Samia Raheel Qazi, the only female member of the Council of Islamic Ideology of Pakistan and former member of National Assembly, Ayesha Syed, deputy secretary general Jamaat-i-Islami Women Wing and general secretary of JI KP chapter, Milad Gul, member of Kalash Community who won first minorities seat, Sayed Gul Kalash, first archaeologist from Kalash valley.

Similarly, Khursheed Bano, the first female elected leader of trade union KP, Nabila Afridi, the pioneer designer and entrepreneur of Peshawar who is famous for her work at Women Business Development Conference, were given the awards

The winners of awards in social activism category were Mussarat Qadeem, the founder of PAIMAN Trust, Nafeesa Inayat, a recipient of Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Gulalai Ismail, chairperson of Aware Girls, Maryam Bibi, founder of Khewando Kor, Azra Masood Alizai, first female Tamgha-i-Shujat winner.

Faria Malik, a PAF aeronautical engineer, Kulsoom, a civil engineer was given Science & Technology awards.The awards in education category were given to Dr Mehr Bano, an author of several books and chairperson of Department of Psychology twice, Dr Noor Jahan, the first woman vice-chancellor of University of Swabi.

Noreena Shams, a squash player, Dr. Shahida Shaheen is a success in many fields, Bibi Jan, a young girl from Chitral who strived hard to create awareness among the women to fight for their own rights, were given special youth award.

The awards in media category went to Mariana Babar, Sadia Qasim Shah, Farzana Ali, the journalists who have contributed reports, interviews, features and magazine programmes to Pakistan’s leading newspapers, Fahmida Butt, the producer and host of programme “Dil Peshori” which had more than 100 episodes.

The TCKP has also conferred Special Hunar-e-Hawwa awards on Saira Shamsul Qamar, elected member from Lower Dir, first female poet of Lower Dir, member Mobility International USA & National Forum for Women with Disability, Afshan Afridi, KP coordinator Disability Forum and master trainer in disability sector, Sabeeha, a lecturer and member Public Service Commission, Tayyaba Humayun, Implementation Officer at National Bank of Pakistan.