By Muhammad Luqman
A newly launched private television channel has employed a Sikh girl as news reporter for the first time in Pakistan’s history .
24-year old Manmeet Kaur, a Peshawarite , has joined Hum News , a newly launched TV channel . She completed her masters in social sciences from Peshawar University. She has four siblings.
She will be seen reporting on the issues of human rights, minorities, local communities and non-governmental organizations, according to media reports.
“Although media is not my cup of tea. Yet I have accepted the job as a challenge,” Manmee Kaur said in a recently published interview.
The Sikh journalist believes that talented people are always treated with honour in Pakistan whatever religion ,caste or creed, they belong to.
“In the capacity of a journalist, I will able to highlight social and cultural issues confronting the Pakistani society especially the Sikh community,”says Manmeet.
She observes that literacy rate among Pakistani Sikh women was very poor and being a journalist, she wants to be a role model for the community not only to improve literacy rate but also for giving an equal status to the women in society.
“Everyone should know that women are equally talented as men and my present status will encourage several other community women, “ she said.
Ever since she became a TV news reporter, Manmeet said she had covered several religious, political and cultural functions and never felt being discriminated as a woman from the minority community.
“Pakistani society has changed, everyone respects me as a women journalist and being a Sikh woman, I am seen as an intellectual face of the community,” she said.
Her father used to be a businessman while her mother is a housewife. “Me and my sister who works in a bank, run the house,” says Manmeet proudly.
