Arfa Karim paid tribute on anniversary

LAHORE : Arfa Karim Randhawa who gave the Pakistan a name in the information technology industry at a global level is the pride and identity of the country.

Dr Umar Saif, founding vice-chancellor of Information Technology University (ITU) and chairman of Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), said this while paying tribute Arfa Karim on her sixth death anniversary observed under the PITB’s project TechHub Connect in collaboration with Arfa Karim Foundation here on Saturday. The late Arfa was a computer genius and the world's youngest Microsoft Certified Professional at the age of nine.

Dr Umar Saif said, "Arfa would be remembered as a Tech hero with a progressive image of Pakistan and conveying the message across the globe that our girls have potential and opportunities to excel in any field of life." Arfa is still a beacon of light for Pakistani women to freely come forward to serve the country in the field of technology, in particular, he added.

Arfa made her entire country proud and won numerous awards, including Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal, Salam Pakistan Youth Award and Pride of Performance Award. She also met the founder of Microsoft Corporation, Bill Gates, who had invited her to Microsoft Headquarters in the United States. Unfortunately, she died at the age of 16.

Arfa’s mother Ms. Samina Amjad shared the memories of her daughter and spoke about her brilliant achievements. Arfa wanted to do something for the people of her country by providing free education to everyone, she added.

Asif Humayun, a professor and a writer, shared his interaction with Arfa and recited a piece of poetry honouring Arfa. Ms. Nosheen Haroon, a teacher who taught biology to Arfa, said, "I was in awe of her brilliance when she first joined my class." Arfa's brothers recited pieces of poetry written by Arfa.

A video on Arfa’s life journey was showed followed by students reciting some pieces of poetry written by her. Some of her teachers and friends also shared their experiences of interaction with the computer prodigy.