Breaking records with a broken heart

PU record breaker Noshaba Zafar dedicates achievement to her late truck driver father

LAHORE: On the day when she was busy breaking records at Punjab University, Noshaba Zafar was missing her hero. Her father, a truck driver, stood by her academic ambitions through thick and thin but was not able to witness her ultimate achievement of scoring the highest marks in the history of PU's annual BSc exams. He passed away in January of this year.

Regardless, his daughter, a PU student from Talgang tehsil in Chakwal district, has proven to the world that people can achieve anything if they are willing to put in the time and hard work. Zafar set the record for the mentioned exams by scoring 714 marks out of 800.

This is the first time in the varsity’s history that a student has managed to achieve a pass percentage of 89.25%. Zafar, who comes from a humble background, studies at VIP Girls Degree College, a PU affiliate institute in Chakwal. However, behind Zafar’s stunning success, is a long road spiked with poverty, personal tragedy and paved with unwavering perseverance.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Zafar explains that she is grateful for her family and her teachers who played a key role in her success. However, she has dedicated her achievement to her late father.

“My father was a great man. He tried his best to always make sure my siblings and I had the very best of everything,” she says. “It was never easy. My father, on a truck driver’s salary, had three daughters and a son who were all going to school. He was my hero,” she says

Zafar’s died earlier this year, a few months before she started her exams. “He was ill before he passed away, which was a difficult time for my family and I,” she says. However, even during that turbulent time, Zafar’s passion, commitment and will to succeed kept her going.

“I used to study for 16 continuous hours a day as I could not afford extra tutoring. My parents, and especially my principal, focused on me and helped me to prepare for my exams,” she recalls.

Zafar says her success is shared by all those students who come from humble backgrounds and do not have many opportunities available to them. She maintains that the government needs to focus on students from smaller, far-flung districts as they are gifted with a multitude of talents, but have no means to harness this ability. The student adds that establishing career counselling departments at colleges of far-flung districts will also help confused students decide their path in life.

“My father taught me what it means to work hard and struggle. He was an honest man who worked day and night to provide for his family,” she says. “I wish he was here to witness my success, but I will continue to make him proud.” Zafar wants to complete her MSc in mathematics so that she can become a lecturer.

Her mother is just as committed to educating her daughter as her late father. “We live in a small house. Educating my kids, especially without my husband, has been an uphill battle. My daughter’s success has renewed my energy and hope,” she exclaims.

VIP Girls Degree College Chakwal Principal Zahida Habib says Zafar’s success has proven that if one is honest and hardworking, success is guaranteed. “The administration focused on her as she was gifted and her success has set an example for others who dream big despite living in far-flung districts,” she adds.

Zafar is not the only girl to have achieved great success in the annual exams. Iqra Anmol and Abeeha Fatima achieved second and third position with 682 and 673 marks, respectively.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2019.