GCWU Chowk renamed after martyred pilot

She is Pakistan’s first female fighter pilot to die in the line of duty

FAISALABAD: The city district government has renamed the chowk next to Government College for Women University (GCWU), Madina Town, to Shaheed Pilot Maryam Mukhtiyar Chowk in order to pay tribute to Pakistan’s first female fighter pilot to die in the line of duty. Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan inaugurated the Shaheed Pilot Maryam Mukhtiyar Chowk on Monday.  MNA Mian Abdul Mannan, DCO Noorul Amin Mengal, Government College Women University VC Noureen Aziz Qureshi, GCWU Registrar Kishwar Naheed Rana, other faculty members and several members of civil society were present on the occasion.

Sanaullah said the sacrifices of national heroes and martyrs could not be forgotten. “They laid down their lives for our motherland.” He said the best way of paying them a tribute was to keep their names and memory alive for the generations to come.



He appreciated the district administration’s decision to name important roads and chowks after martyrs and eminent personalities.

Sanaullah said Mukhtiyar was an outstanding Pakistan Air Force pilot. “She is a national hero who achieved excellent status among women through her extraordinary capabilities,” he said. Renaming the chowk after Mukhtiyar would provide inspiration for women students, he said.

MNA Mian Abdul Mannan said the government had selected that particular chowk so that the students of GCWU could gain inspiration from her and learn about her services to the country.



DCO Noorul Amin Mengal thanked the law minister for inaugurating the Shaheed Pilot Maryam Mukhtiyar Chowk and said various roads and chowks in the city would be named after national heroes in order to pay them tribute and to raise awareness about their services to the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2016.