Eight Pakistanis have been recognised this year by The Diana Award for their inspirational initiatives surrounding education, health and climate action.

They are among the 198 recipients from around the world of the award, a “global honour celebrating young social activists driving positive change in their communities and beyond”.

“Rooted in the legacy of Diana, Princess of Wales, the award celebrates young people who are working tirelessly to change the world — particularly those championing change for individuals from socio-economic [sic] disadvantaged backgrounds,” reads the charity’s website.

Each year, up to 200 exceptional young people are honoured with the Diana Award, which recognises youth-led projects and initiatives that align with four key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): quality education, good health and wellbeing, reducing inequality, and climate action.

The Pakistani recipients are Ali Ahmed Manj, who wants to improve healthcare access; Areeba Suleman, founder of SheRise Pakistan; Mariam Rehman, heading The Pro-Justice Project; Muhammad Ibrahim, who used digital mapping to help flood-affected people; Noor Abdul Ghani, who encourages girls in science and technology; Reya Yassir Khawaja, who creates awareness on menstrual hygiene; Sara Ali, who supports polio campaigns; and Vishal Parkash, who works on improving financial access for marginalised communities.

They received letters from Kensington Palace, the office of Prince William and his wife Kate, as well as Prince Harry, for the awards announced on Nov 4.

In the letter to Suleman, seen by Dawn and seemingly identical for all honourees, Prince William praised her resilience, courage, compassion and belief in kindness.

“The impact you are having on your community and the lives of those around you is remarkable,” the letter read.

“The world we live in today can feel challenging and uncertain, and creating change is not easy. Yet, in the face of these challenges, you have shown extraordinary resilience, courage and a belief in the power of kindness to make things better.”

The Prince of Wales added: “My mother, in whose memory you receive The Diana Award today, would be so proud of your achievements and the deep care you show for others.”

In his letter, Prince Harry wrote, “This award is deeply personal to me, not only because it carries my mother’s name, but because it champions her belief that young people have the power to change the world.”

Noting that the recipient made it their mission to solve challenges in their communities, he stated: You are already leading with purpose and the rest of us have a responsibility to listen, invest in you and give you real opportunities to take that work further.”

8 Pakistanis awarded this year

“This year’s Diana Award recipients represent some of the most inspirational young people from across the UK and around the world,” the charity noted.

The award’s website also provided details of each recipient’s work for which they were recognised, as of their nominations in October 2025. Here is what the young Pakistani honourees have done to bring a positive change in their surroundings:

Ali Azan Ahmed Manj

Manj has made dedicated efforts to improve access to healthcare for underserved communities across Karachi and rural Sindh.

“Over five years with Humanity Initiative, he has helped lead student-led medical camps and collaborations with NGOs, providing longitudinal healthcare to communities with limited resources,” the website read.

It noted that Ali was helping to make healthcare “more accessible and equitable”, as his Humanity Initiative has served over 10,000 patients.

Areeba Suleman

Founder of SheRise Pakistan, Dera Ghazi Khan’s first student-led youth organisation, Suleman has built a “growing network of young women advancing educational equity across south Punjab”.

She has directly impacted more than 6,000 students, and her work has expanded access to leadership opportunities for young women, empowering them to become active participants in shaping their communities, the website noted.

Mariam Rehman

A Law and Finance graduate, Rehman was studying at university when she founded The Pro-Justice Project, a pro bono initiative supported by a network of more than 250 volunteer lawyers.

“Together, they have supported over 1,000 cases across Pakistan. Mariam has also provided free debate coaching to more than 200 girls, helping them develop confidence, critical thinking and public-speaking skills.”

The Diana Award noted she was creating opportunities for people to understand and exercise their rights through legal advocacy, community engagement and youth leadership.

Muhammad Ibrahim

Ibrahim decided to use technology to help those affected by natural disasters after noticing how floods could destroy homes, livelihoods and access to essential services.

He collaborated with the Punjab government on GIS-based damage assessments and field surveys across high-risk areas, combining digital mapping with on-the-ground verification to support fairer compensation planning for nearly 300,000 families, The Diana Award highlighted.

Ibrahim had also mobilised communities through the Murree Rainwater Harvesting Project, which provided free rooftop systems to around 4,000 families.

“By combining technology with community action, he is helping people recover from disasters while addressing water scarcity and reducing the daily burden of collecting water on women and girls.”

Noor Abdul Ghani

Aiming to close the gender gap in science and technology, Ghani founded WinSci Pakistan to encourage more girls and women to see themselves represented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

A machine learning engineer and Master’s student in Artificial Intelligence, Ghani helps students through STEM sessions, school outreach and scholarship guidance.

“Under her leadership, WinSci has delivered programmes in underprivileged schools across Pakistan and received the Science Outreach Award from Springer Nature and Estée Lauder Companies. Noor is helping create a future where more young women have the opportunity to participate and succeed in STEM.”

Reya Khawaja

A student at Nord Anglia International School Dubai, Khawaja founded SAFE — Sanitation and Female Empowerment — in collaboration with the KCS Foundation to challenge the stigma surrounding menstrual health.

Through the initiative, she has distributed menstrual hygiene packs and organised educational awareness sessions that encourage open conversations about periods.

“Her work focuses on ensuring that girls in underserved communities have access to essential resources as well as the knowledge and confidence to discuss their health openly,” The Diana Award notes.

Sara Ali

Witnessing gaps in health awareness, Ali founded the Pakistan Polio Project to “strengthen vaccine confidence, combat misinformation, support frontline health workers and protect zero-dose children”.

Through community outreach, she has inspired more than 100 volunteers to educate families, promote immunisation awareness and support progress towards a polio-free Pakistan.

“Her work brings young people into the heart of public health advocacy, showing how youth leadership and community education can help build greater understanding and protect children from preventable illness,” the website reads.

Vishal Parkash

Growing up as a Hindu in Pakistan, Parkash became passionate about creating greater financial and legal access for excluded communities, The Diana Award noted.

He founded RUBAN, connecting more than 200 women artisans across Karachi, Lahore and Sindh with formal markets and generating over Rs5 million in revenue for its artisans, according to the website.

Parkash also founded Emprende, providing financial and legal literacy training to refugees and migrants around the world.

“Alongside this, he co-leads Rem & Company, a global student-run consulting network with more than 30 chapters, and founded Konnect to advance disability advocacy. From Karachi to Berlin, Lusaka and Cape Town, Vishal continues turning financial exclusion into entrepreneurial opportunity.”