Arfa Abdul-Karim:
Arfa Abdul Karim Randhawa, born on February 2, 1995, and passing away on January 14, 2012, was a remarkable Pakistani female student and a computer genius. She made history in 2004 by becoming the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP). This incredible achievement earned her a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Arfa held this title until 2008 and proudly represented Pakistan at various international events, such as the TechEd Developers Conference.
In 2005, she was honored with Pakistan’s highest literary award, the Presidential Pride of Performance, presented by General Pervez Musharraf. A science park in Lahore, named the Arfa Software Technology Park, pays tribute to her legacy. Bill Gates invited her to visit Microsoft’s headquarters in the U.S. when she was only 10 years old. After her visit, Arfa participated in numerous interviews with television and newspapers. S. Somasegar, a vice president at Microsoft, even wrote about her in his blog. On August 2, 2005, she received the Fatimah Jinnah Gold Medal for her contributions to Science and Technology from Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during the celebration of Fatima Jinnah’s 113th birthday.
Additionally, she was awarded the Salaam Pakistan Youth Award in August 2005 by the president of Pakistan. In the same year, she became the youngest recipient of the President’s Award for Pride of Performance, which is given to individuals who excel in their fields over time. In January 2010, she was named the brand ambassador for Pakistan Telecommunication Company’s 3G Wireless Broadband service, “EVO.”
Death:
Tragically, she passed away in 2012 at the young age of 16 due to cardiac arrest. Punjab’s Chief Minister, Shehbaz Sharif also attended her funeral. And she was laid to rest in her ancestral village, Chak No. 4JB Ram Diwali, located on the Faisalabad-Sargodha Road. On her remembrance, Arfa Software technology Park is established in Lahore. This is the first International standard facility in Pakistan.
