A picture of two pilots who flew a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight to Gilgit has gone viral on social media. First Officer Shumaila Mazhar confirmed that Captain Maryam Masood and her all-female crew flew the PIA plane from Islamabad to Gilgit and back on Wednesday. “The flight to Gilgit is very challenging and requires a lot of precision and technique,” the national carrier said on Twitter. “Our dynamic duo, Captain Maryam Masood and First Officer Shumaila Mazhar make it look so easy as they fly through the mountains celebrating the beauty of our northern areas! Way to go!” it added while sharing a picture of the two. This is not the first time a PIA flight has been commanded by only women. Speaking to media Captain Maryam reiterated that it is a common practice for all-female crew to operate PIA flights. The first officer Shumaila Mazhar was all praise for her Captain, “Maryam Masood is one of the best captains we have on board.”
People from all walks of life appreciated the female pilots and crew members for their achievement and extended best wishes for other women to come forward and show the world that they have the ability to work side by side of men to make this country great.
The state of women’s rights in Pakistan is often questioned as many international surveys have revealed the sorry state of affairs when it comes to providing equal opportunities to women in Pakistan. The women in Pakistan have been constantly complaining of having being isolated from mainstream society. Women feel disillusioned on being maltreated by the male-oriented set up in Pakistan. They strongly claim that if they are given a chance, they can contribute more positively towards the development of all social aspects.
Indeed there is no doubt on the abilities of women to perform in different segments of society and compete if given equal opportunities. PIA female pilots’ story is an inspirational development in Pakistan’s patriarchal society and other women who are looking forward for some motivation should get inspiration from this success story of PIA female pilots. We hope that more women pilots will be flying the flag of PIA and we also hope that more women would come forward in other fields of society and contribute in the development of the country.