ISLAMABAD, Oct 10: Shahida Asif made history on Thursday, earning the distinction of becoming the first person to vote in the capital city, and possibly in the entire country.

“I feel very proud and happy to be the first one to cast vote,” said a delighted Ms Asif who was caught in action by the CNN and BBC cameramen. Her images were flashed on TV screens by the two leading networks throughout the day, giving her a celebrity status.

She told Dawn that she had voted for Imran Khan’s Tehrik-i-Insaf party. A former schoolteacher of St Mary’s School, Islamabad and a news reader at a radio station, Ms Asif cast her vote at sharp 8am at NA-48 ICB polling station in sector G-6.

She arrived at the polling station at 7:45am with members of the Commonwealth Observer Group who had recruited her as interpreter.