Meet Manmeet Kaur, The First Sikh News Reporter Working In Pakistan

The press has been under a lot of stress in Pakistan in recent times, and a lot of it is to do with the Pakistan Army exercising control over the media. Recently, the newspaper Dawn was prohibited in some areas within Pakistan, and that just goes on to show the extent of restrictions over the free press in the country. This, however, hasn't stopped this Sikh woman from pursuing her dreams. © TOI 24-year-old Manmeet Kaur has become the first Pakistani journalist of Sikh descent to work as a news reporter in the country. “There are several social and cultural issues and being a journalist, I will be able to bring them forth especially for the upliftment of Sikh community,” said Manmeet while talking to TOI from Peshawar on Sunday. Manmeet is a post-graduate from Jinnah College for Women in Peshawar. The social sciences graduate-turned journalist reveals that the literacy rate among Pakistani Sikhs is very low and being a reporter, she will now be able to inspire a lot of women in the society to educate themselves and be independent. “Everyone should know that women are equally talented as men and my present status will encourage several other community women,” she said. And while Pakistan is seen as a very conservative society around the world, it has been a fairly pleasant experience for Manmeet while growing up in Pakistan and now working as a reporter. © Twitter “Pak society has changed, I never felt the need to wear a burqa while reporting, everyone respects me as a woman journalist and being a Sikh woman, I am seen as an intellectual face of the community,” she said. Manmeet, whose father was a businessman, says that she and her sister run the house after her parents retired. “Me and my sister who works in a bank, run the house,” said Manmeet. She now dreams of visiting Amritsar as a journalist and make a name by covering religious stories. “It is my heartfelt wish to travel to Amritsar as a journalist and cover religious stories,” she said before going back to her day job.