11 eleven years old Sitara Akbar set new world record in O levels and also holds the title of the youngest Pakistani candidate in IELTS. – Photo courtesy of British Council of Pakistan.

KARACHI: A Pakistani girl has become the youngest student in the world to have passed the British Ordinary Level (O’Level) examination.

Sitara Brooj Akbar, at the age of 11, passed six O’level subjects including Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

In addition to this honour, Sitara also holds the title of being the youngest Pakistani candidate of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and successfully attained seven bands out of nine, scoring 7.5 in the testing system.

The little genius from Chiniot (Punjab) has been making headlines across local media but is yet to receive any recognition from the Government of Pakistan.

“We don’t need any sort of monetary aid from the government, we just want the government to recognise that Sitara has made a shining example for Pakistan on the international stage and she is the daughter of Pakistan,” Sitara’s father Ali Akbar told Dawn.com.

Ali Akbar added that the British Council has declared and recognised Sitara’s feat as the world’s youngest student to have passed O’level exams. However, she has only been declared the youngest IELTS candidate in Pakistan, and not across the world, as the British Council is yet to confirm her feat globally.

Speaking to Dawn.com, Sitara’s mother mentioned that her daughter is a great fan of Dr Abdus Salam, Pakistan’s sole Nobel laurete and aims to become a top researcher in the field of biochemistry.

Opinion

Editorial

Iran stalemate
Updated 02 May, 2026

Iran stalemate

THE US and Iran are currently somewhere between war and peace. While a tenuous ceasefire — extended largely due to...
Tax shortfall
02 May, 2026

Tax shortfall

THE Rs684bn shortfall in tax collection during the first 10 months of the fiscal year is a continuation of a...
Teaching inclusion
02 May, 2026

Teaching inclusion

DISCRIMINATORY and exclusionary content in Punjab’s textbooks has been flagged in Inclusive Education for a United...
Water vision
01 May, 2026

Water vision

WATER insecurity in Pakistan has been building up for decades as per capita water availability has declined from...
Vaccine policy
01 May, 2026

Vaccine policy

PAKISTAN has finally approved its first National Vaccine Policy; a step the health ministry has rightly described as...
Labour rights
Updated 01 May, 2026

Labour rights

THE annual observance of May Day should move beyond statements about the state’s commitment to the rights of...