A Father’s Dream, Fulfilled: Islam Khana’s Journey

Islam Khana was born in 1997 in a small village in Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, into a family shaped by poverty but guided by quiet determination. Her father, Ahsan Ghani, had grown up knowing what it meant to work hard and still be denied opportunity. When he moved his family to Islamabad in search of survival, he carried with him one unshakeable belief: education was the only inheritance he could give his children.

Life in Islamabad was not easy. Ghani worked as a daily-wage laborer, while Islam’s mother, Irshad Begum, collected firewood to sell. There were days when food was uncertain, and school fees were unimaginable. Yet when Islam turned five, her father made a promise to himself—that no matter the hardship, his daughter would go to school, even if it meant personal sacrifice.

That promise found its answer in Pehli Kiran School No. 2, located in their low-income community.

“For us, PKS was a ray of light,” Islam recalls. “It was not just a school – it met our needs, believed in us, and gave us dignity. It was unlike anything else around us.”

At Pehli Kiran, Islam found more than free education. She found structure, discipline, confidence, and the belief that a girl from a poor household could aspire to excellence. The quality of education, she says, was no less than that of elite private schools. Teachers invested deeply in their students, nurturing both academic foundations and self-worth.

When Islam graduated from PKS at Grade 5 and applied to a leading public school, the results spoke for themselves. She topped the merit list in the admission test. “That moment made me realize what PKS had given me,” she says. “I was prepared. I could compete.”

From there, Islam’s journey accelerated – but never detached from its roots. She completed her schooling with distinction, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Quaid-e-Azam University, followed by a Master’s degree from NUML University. In 2022, she secured an internship at Systems Limited, one of Pakistan’s leading IT firms—an achievement few girls from her background ever imagine, let alone attain.

Today, Islam Khana serves as the Information Technology Lead at the JAQ Education Trust, overseeing two computer centers and strengthening digital capacity across PKS programs. Her role is not just professional—it is deeply personal. “This is my way of giving back,” she explains. “To the communities, the school, and the idea that changed my life.”

Islam’s story is not only about individual success. It is about what becomes possible when girls are educated, when parents’ sacrifices are matched by institutional commitment, and when opportunity reaches those who need it most.

For Pehli Kiran Schools, Islam Khana represents the long arc of impact:
from a five-year-old girl in a struggling household,
to a university graduate,
to a technology professional,
to a leader shaping the next generation.

Her father’s dream did not end with her education. Through Islam, it continues—quietly, powerfully, and with purpose.

This is the promise of Pehli Kiran Schools.