Aspiring to be Pakistan’s first Sikh woman model, Manmeet Kaur (24), a resident of Peshawar, chose to be a journalist and work for the community and society as a whole. “There are several social and cultural issues and being a journalist I will be able to bring them forth, especially for the uplift of Sikh community,” she told TOI from Peshawar.

A postgraduate in social sciences from Jinnah College for Women in Peshawar, Manmeet, who is one among the five siblings, observed that the literacy rate among Sikhs of Pakistan was very poor and being a journalist she wanted to be a role model for the community to not only improve literacy rate but also give equal status to women in society. “Everyone should know that women are equally talented as men and my present status will encourage several other community women,” she maintained.

Prior to being Pakistan’s first Sikh news reporter for a TV channel, Manmeet said she worked as an administrator in a computer academy for three years. “But my uncle Radesh Singh Tony inspired me to be Pakistan’s first Sikh woman journalist and I took his advice,” she said.