So, we’ve talked about young Pakistanis making a name for themselves in the international arena. Of course, anything that anyone in Pakistan does is something to be proud of but when young people, despite the circumstances, despite the tumultuous security, law and order situation in the country, make a mark on the world stage, it becomes even more important to not only praise them for their remarkable feat but also to allow other young people to be inspired to try and reach out to the stars.

These young folks right here have some truly inspirational stories for you.

1. Fajar Ajmal

Source: Fajar Ajmal

A student of Kinnaird College, Lahore, Fajar has shown remarkable empathy toward the less fortunate. She feels strongly about helping those that are at a disadvantage due to no fault of their own and despite her young age she has been a champion for the rights of every member of the society. Her initiative ‘Voice Up‘ is just the first stepping stone to a much bigger role in helping society.

2. Aashir Sheikh

Source: Aashir Sheikh

Professional Web Developer, Windows, Android , iOS Apps & Games Developer,  Graphics Designer, 2D Intro & Character Animator, Flash Developer and Entrepreneur. Aashir is all of these things and more at the tender age of 14. Certainly this young prodigy is going to do wonders very soon.

3. Awais Imran

Source: Awais Imran

He is the co-founder of PriceOye, a startup that aims to help solve one of your biggest online shopping troubles – the hassle of finding the same product at hugely varying prices on different online stores. With this initiative, Awais and his team aim to help you quickly do your shopping and save your hard earned money.

4. Hassan Aftab, 5. Hamza Akmal Chaudhry, 6.Rayan Tofique and 7. Mujtaba Ahmed

Source: Hassan Aftab

Space travel has become an increasingly mainstream topic in the recent years and with the growing troubles here on Earth it is no surprise that NASA is conducting tests on permanent settlements in Space. These four students at Lahore Grammar School, Johar Town in Lahore, as part of the winning team from Pakistan have qualified to compete in the world competition called ‘International Space Settlement Design Competition’. Here’s hoping they make us all proud.

8. Wajahat Imam Baloch

Source: Wajahat Imam Baloch

As a young Pakistani, looking for the right opportunity is always very difficult. Wajahat, as part of the founding team of Dastawezat, aims to help you with just that. It is an organization that aims to connect students with the right opportunities and help their realize their higher education dreams.

9. Khalida Brohi

Source: Ted

Khalida is no stranger to harsh realities of life. Having been born in a small village in a remote part of Balochistan and having been the first girl in her village to go to college, Khalida has always been a torch-bearer for women in her community and for women around the world. She is a women’s rights activist, a social entrepreneur, a TEDGlobal speaker and one of Forbes Magazine’s 30 under 30 in 2014.

10. Saad Ali

Via: Pak Wheels

Every young boy dreams about becoming a racer when they’re young, this young man here is actually living that dream. Saad Ali dropped out of university where he was studying business administration so he could pursue his dream of becoming a professional motor racer. And now, he is the only certified Formula 1 racer of Pakistan.

11. Zenith Irfan

Source: 1 Girl 2 Wheels via: pri.org

And girls, on the other hand, are told to dream about barbies and cooking and becoming the perfect wives and mothers and daughters when they grow up. Zenith Irfan is living the dream of becoming a woman she wants to be, not the woman someone else wants to see her as. This motorist takes life by it’s horns and has been to places on her motorcycle adventures where no one else has been. She has ventured far across the northern most corners of the country and her journey continues. We’re sure as hell, keeping track of where this young lady lands next.

12. Rafay Baloch

Source: Tech Juice

Rafay is a techie. Specifically, he is an Ethical Hacker. Now, you might be wondering what an oxymoron that term is but there is actually a thing in the tech world called ‘ethical hackers’ and Rafay here is one of the best there is out there. Why? Well, because he hacked Paypal in 2012 and the company gave him 10,000 bucks as the prize for finding the flaw in their system. He does a lot more tech magic these days, as a ‘bug hunter’.

13. Fiza Farhan

Via: Fashion Central

One of Forbes Magazine’s 30 under 30 for 2015, Fiza is a smart, independent and a very promising young woman. As the co-founder of the Buksh Foundation, Fiza is involved with overseeing many development projects that are helping the marginalized communities in Pakistan. Specifically, her work focuses on projects of sustainable energy provision to remote communities of the country that get overlooked by the public sector.

Cover Image: Nadir Siddqui

These young Pakistanis blow your mind? Here’s something else that will do so too:

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