Manbir Kaur become the first Sikh girl to top the matriculation exam in Pakistan.
The daughter of Giani Prem Singh, the head granthi at Gurdwara Sri Nankana Sahib, Manbir scored 1035 marks out of 1100 to emerge topper. She is a student of Shri Guru Nanak Devji High School at Nankana Sahib.
Ever since the result was announced on July 30, Manbir Kaur has been receiving congratulatory messages from people of all communities in Pakistan. Her achievement is no mean feat in a country where Sikhs comprise only 1% of the population.
Manbir’s proud father said she had achieved what even boys of the community could not. “I think Manbir’s hard work has paid off. She has always been a diligent student. Besides, God has been very kind,” Giani Prem Singh told Hindustan Times over phone from Nankana Sahib.
He said Manbir was on a vacation with her mother and aunt “to enjoy the success she deserves”. She has taken admission in a pre-medical course at the Punjab Group of Colleges in Lahore. “Manbir wants to become a doctor,” he said.
The head granthi said that Manbir, an Amritdhari (baptised) Sikh, performs ‘kirtan sewa (sings hymns)’ at Gurdwara Nankana Sahib along with other jathas (groups). (PhotoNews/Hindutan Times)
