PESHAWAR: As the International Women’s Day is being observed across the globe, Almas Khanam, a young embroidery artist and sculptor from Malakand, has asked parents to provide equal opportunities to girls to enable them to bring out their hidden talent and play due role in the society.

“Women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are not short of anyone. Men are required to believe in strength of their daughters as they do in their sons. Provision of equal space for girls would enable them to contribute to the society,” she said.

In a brief chat with this scribe here on Sunday, Almas Khanam, a resident of Dargai in Malakand, in connection with International Women’s Day being marked on Monday( today ), she said that it was the utmost responsibility of parents and elders to encourage girls by creating equal space for them. She added that women could do wonders if provided with opportunities.

Almas Khanam asks parents to encourage daughters to show talent

She said that scores of her art pieces were destroyed due to non-availability of art gallery. She also sought free scholarship for pursuing career in fine arts to realise her dream as it would help her promote the soft image of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the country at large.

Ms Khanam, a first year intermediate student, has recently made headlines in national media when she was shortlisted for the event ‘Hamare Heroes’ at Pakistan Super League (PSL) held in Karachi where she was given a cash prize in recognition of her unique talent. She was born to a family where her father and six brothers had already been practicing poetry, music, and painting.

“I was fortunate enough to have been born in an environment where I just needed a spur. My entire family stood behind me and enable me to do impossible things in the shape of my art. Embroidery on sieve is my lone natural gift,” she claimed.

She said that her father was her ideal as he had given her the freedom to pursue her dreams. She expected other parents to do the same. “I use simple cotton threads to weave portraits of noted personalities on a fine mesh strainer and also mould their sculptors from mud to pay a tribute to them for their contribution to society and humanity at large,” she added.

Recipient of Fakher Pakhtunkhwa and Bacha Khan Peace awards, she has crafted portraits of Khushal Khan Khattak, Bacha Khan, Malala Yousafzai, Abdul Sattar Edhi, Ahmad Shah Abdali, Hamid Karzai and a few others. She said that she had gifted most of her art pieces to art lovers while a few artworks went to Bacha Khan Markaz.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.