ISLAMABAD: Seven Pakistanis have been featured in the US magazine Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 list in 2026 for their contributions across various fields, ranging from technology to media.

The list, which recognises 30 young people who have made a significant mark in their respective fields, is in its 11th edition this year.

It features actor Hania Aamir and filmmaker Saman Kamraan in the entertainment category.

Hania Aamir, Pakistan’s “most-followed woman” on Instagram — having recently reached 20 million followers — has been recognised for her work as an actor.

Meanwhile, Saman Kamraan is a filmmaker who is not afraid to take up subjects that most Pakistanis would not touch.

Her short film, The Bed She Made, was the only Pakistani entry at the Busan International Short Film Festival this year.

The list also named entrepreneur Syed Ismail in the consumer and enterprise technology category for his work in digitising commodity sourcing and improving transparency in trade.

It further highlighted the achievements of scientist Dr Maheera Ghani in the healthcare and science category. Her WinSci Pakistan education project won the Nature Inspiring Women in Science Award from the Estée Lauder Companies and Springer Nature for “her efforts to encourage women to pursue careers in science”.

Pakistani entrepreneurs Muhammad Furqan Karim Kidwai and Sarfraz Shahid Hussain, co-founders of Plouton AI, have been named on the list in the finance and venture capital category.

The duo founded Singapore-based Plouton AI, an agentic automation platform backed by Antler Singapore that helps mid-market companies automate finance-related workflows.

Youth leader Fahad Shahbaz has been named in the social impact category for his work in promoting youth participation in leadership and policymaking.

He founded the Youth General Assembly in 2015 at the age of 18 to create structured pathways for young Pakistanis to engage in governance and policy discourse.

Published in Dawn, May 31th, 2026