Moot urges transformation for societal change

ISLAMABAD:

The Association of Business, Professional, and Agricultural Women (ABP&AW) marked Pakistan's 77th Independence Day with a thought-provoking event themed "If I Want a Change, I Have to Change."

Attended by 50 distinguished guests, the event featured influential speakers who underscored the importance of personal responsibility and transformation as catalysts for societal progress.

ABP&AW President, Tahmeena Malik, opened the event by showcasing the organisation's impactful initiatives, including the Small Credit Scheme Project, which has disbursed 800 loans since 1992, with an impressive 98% recovery rate. She also highlighted the success of the Bookshaw Project, which promotes literacy among underprivileged children.

She also shared personal anecdotes illustrating how individual actions can spark broader change. She spoke of small yet significant acts, such as asking children to stop littering, discouraging the practice of giving gift bags that place undue pressure on guests, and eliminating the tradition of serving tea at banks. These examples underscored the theme of the event, reinforcing the message that change begins with individual behaviour.

Speakers, including Samina Rizwan, Brigadier Naila Azam, Dr Farukh Hassan, and Junaid Zaidi echoed the theme, emphasising the need for personal accountability, empirical evidence, and integrity in driving national development. The event served as a powerful reminder that meaningful change in Pakistan begins with individual actions.

Following her speech, Samina Rizwan stressed the importance of empirical evidence and statistics in driving progress.