Arfa Karim Pakistani student who became the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional in the world in 2004 at the age of nine Date of Birth: 02.02.1995 Country: Pakistan

1. Arfa Karim: The Youngest Microsoft Certified Professional
2. Recognition and Awards
3. International Engagements
4. Tragic End
5. A Legacy Remembered

Arfa Karim: The Youngest Microsoft Certified Professional

Arfa Karim, a Pakistani student, became the youngest Microsoft certified professional in the world at the age of nine in 2004. She held this title until 2008 and even visited Microsoft headquarters in the United States by invitation from Bill Gates himself. Arfa was born to Amjad Karim and Jatti Randhawa in a suburb of Faisalabad. After returning to Pakistan from her trip to Microsoft headquarters, Arfa gave numerous interviews on television and in newspapers.

Recognition and Awards

On August 2, 2005, Arfa Karim was awarded the Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal in the field of science and technology by the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shaukat Aziz, on the occasion of Fatima's 113th birthday. Arfa Karim also received the President's Award for Pride of Performance, a civil award given to individuals who have shown excellence in their field for a long period of time. She was the youngest recipient of this award. In January 2010, Arfa became the face of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company in recognition of her achievements.

International Engagements

Arfa Karim represented Pakistan at various international forums. She was invited to the Pakistan Information Technology Professionals Forum in Dubai, where she received several awards and gifts, including a laptop. In November 2006, she participated in the Tech-Ed Developers Conference in Barcelona, ​​invited by Microsoft. Among over 5,000 developers from around the world, she was the only citizen of Pakistan.

Tragic End

In 2011, at the age of 16, Arfa Karim was studying at the Literacy School in Lahore. After an epileptic seizure, she suffered a cardiac arrest, resulting in serious brain damage. On December 22, 2011, Arfa was admitted to the Combined Military Hospital in Lahore in critical condition. On January 9, 2012, Bill Gates contacted Arfa's parents and informed Pakistani doctors that he was ready to offer any assistance for her treatment. Gates formed a special international team of doctors who remained in contact with local doctors through teleconferences and received detailed information about Arfa's condition. Local doctors rejected the possibility of transferring Arfa to another hospital because she was on artificial ventilation. Arfa's relatives and family members were grateful to Bill Gates for covering the expenses of her treatment.

A Legacy Remembered

On January 13, 2012, Arfa Karim unexpectedly started to recover. Her father requested Microsoft to transfer Arfa from Pakistan to the United States for treatment. However, on January 14, 2012, Arfa Karim passed away at 9:50 pm Pakistani time at the Combined Military Hospital in Lahore. On January 15, 2012, she was buried with honors in her hometown of Faisalabad. The Chief Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif, attended the funeral. On the same day, Shahbaz Sharif announced that the Lahore Technology Park would be renamed the Arfa Karim Technology Park. The government of Pakistan also planned to release a commemorative postage stamp in honor of the late Arfa Karim.