Famous Pakistani Women

Named to Time 100 thrice, Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai exhibits phenomenal grit and inspires young girls everywhere. An assassination attempt by Islamic fundamentalists could not dampen her spirit, and she fought back with a bestselling memoir and won the Nobel Peace Prize as its youngest recipient, at 17.

Benazir Bhutto was a Pakistani politician who served as Pakistan's prime minister in two separate terms and became the first woman in a Muslim majority nation to lead a democratic government. She was assassinated, at the age of 54, and after her death has been revered by many as an icon for women's rights.

Bushra Maneka, popularly known as Bushra Bibi, is the current First Lady of Pakistan. She married Imran Khan six months prior to his ascendency as the prime minister of Pakistan. As First Lady, Bushra remains fairly inactive in political matters, but supports her husband's vision for Pakistan.

Noor Jehan was a Pakistani actress and playback singer. In a career spanning over 60 years, she is estimated to have sung around 20,000 songs. One of the most important Pakistani singers of all time, Noor Jehan is also widely regarded as one of the most influential and greatest South Asian singers of all time.

Hina Rabbani Khar is a Pakistani politician who became the first woman and the youngest person to serve as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan; she was in the office from 2011 to 2013. Prior to serving as the Foreign Minister, Hina Rabbani Khar also became the first female politician to present the national budget in 2009 while serving as the Minister of Finance of Pakistan.   

Fatima Jinnah was a Pakistani politician, stateswoman, and dental surgeon. She was the younger sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. Fatima worked closely with her elder brother, who often sought the advice of his sister. Fatima Jinnah is also credited with co-founding the All Pakistan Women's Association, which aims at promoting the welfare of Pakistani women. 

Arfa Karim was a Pakistani computer prodigy. She became the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) in 2004 and held the title until 2008. She represented Pakistan on various international forums and received Pakistan's highest literary award, the Presidential Pride of Performance, in 2005. The bright young girl suffered from ill health and died at the age of just 16. 

While fans named her Pakistan’s Kim Kardashian, social-media celebrity Qandeel Baloch made headlines when she was strangled to death by her brother for bringing dishonor to her conservative Muslim family. Qandeel was known for her outrageous antics, such as promising a strip-tease if the Pakistani cricket team won against India.

Fatima Bhutto is a Pakistani writer and journalist. She is the daughter of politician Murtaza Bhutto and a granddaughter of former Prime Minister and President of Pakistan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. She studied at the University of London. As a journalist, she has written for The News and The Guardian among other publications. She is multilingual. 

Tehmina Durrani is a Pakistani author and artist. She is also a well-known activist for women's and children's rights. She came to prominence after writing a book about being abused by her famous politician husband, Ghulam Mustafa Khar, who she divorced. She actively supports the social rehabilitation of women. She later married politician Shahbaz Sharif.