Death of a star

For a country where women are held back due to many interconnected social and economic factors, Pakistan has managed to produce shining female role models who are not just known within the country but also represent us all in a positive light abroad. Shahlyla Baloch was just such a shining light, the star performer in the Balochistan women’s football team. She had been playing since the age of seven and was understood to be one of the best female footballers in the country. Shahlyla rose to prominence when she scored three goals in a match against Bhutan during the SAFF Women’s Championship in 2014. Sadly for her family, her fans and all those for whom she was a role model, Shahlyla’s life was cut short at the young age of 20 when she died in a car accident in Karachi on October 19. According to reports, the car swerved and struck a pole which caused her death. The police have reportedly arrested the driver and legal action is being taken against those responsible. It is highly unfortunate that her life should have been cut short so suddenly at the height of her professional career.

While Shahlyla’s death is being mourned, efforts must be made to preserve her legacy as an extremely talented sportswoman. Her example should be held up to the many young men and women in this country who want to choose a different track for their life than the well beaten paths of university degrees, safe jobs and wasted talent. Her ambition and drive stand in stark contrast to the typical image of a docile Pakistani woman who is led to her fate by external forces. Her professionalism and desire for success needs to be celebrated and widely discussed for the benefit of those who find themselves struggling to find motivation. This country needs more women like Shahlyla to bring women’s sports the publicity and respect they deserve. What she would have gone on to accomplish is a question never to be answered. But what will be done to encourage more people to follow in her footsteps remains to be seen.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2016.

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