Alishba Khan Barech named for Global Award

ISLAMABAD:

Alishba Khan Barech from Nushki, Balochistan has been selected as a finalist for the 2025 Women Changing the World Awards.

Among 751 shortlisted nominations, the judges have selected Alishba Khan Barech as a finalist for the Young Woman of the Year Award, recognizing her extraordinary contributions to literature, advocacy, and youth empowerment, said a press release issued here Friday.

Hailing from Nushki, near the Afghan border—a region often associated with militancy—Alishba is determined to redefine its legacy. Instead of a militant, she hopes to be the one who shapes its narrative. She is Pakistan's youngest novelist, having written her debut novel at 11, and the country's youngest memoirist, beginning her memoir at 14. By 16, she became Pakistan's youngest self-published author.

Her journey extends beyond literature—she has served as a UNICEF Pakistan ambassador for polio eradication, a youth ambassador for mental health in UNICEF's On My Mind campaign, and a youth ambassador for the Quetta Gladiators.