I grew up in the district of North Waziristan, a former agency of erstwhile FATA now merged in

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (a province of Pakistan), which was the stronghold of militants. There
prevailed complete lawlessness manifesting in various ways including: high crimes rate, social
unrest, militancy, extremism, radicalization, and illiteracy. In that environment getting education
especially for girls was a daunting challenge and to make matters worse there was only one school
for girls in the whole city (Miranshah) we were living in but when I was in 8th grade that too was
closed down due to increased tension between the state and anti-state elements. We were only
allowed to give exams after completion of the academic year. In this manner, I completed my
secondary and higher secondary education without attending a single class. During these four
years, I studied by myself at home as there was no one to get help from. From the very childhood,
I was fond of learning as I used to read textbooks of my siblings after going through my own books.

On the 12th of June, 2014, we left our home on short notice because military operation Zarb-e-
Azab was to be carried out to clear North Waziristan of militants. We shifted to District Peshawar,
a well-developed main city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.We had to start everything from scratch as we
lost everything: our home, household, my father’s shop which was his only source of earning, our
relatives and friends, in short everyone and everything. We were now the unfortunate Internally
Displaced Persons (IDPs).The peace, freedom, prosperity, law and order prevailing in this new
area intrigued me. I was surprised to know that it was the enforcement of laws and the
administration of justice that made so much difference. I developed an interest in the study of law
and thus got admission in LLB.

I transitioned from 8th grade directly to University level with no higher education and college
experience. In my first class, I was hiding my messy writing from other classmates who were having
strong educational background while I was unable to spell terms like ‘introduction and definition.’
Despite many weaknesses and setbacks including financial constraints, I was determined and
highly ambitious as always. I accepted the challenge wholeheartedly and started to work day and
night. For the first time in my life, I had an opportunity to learn, explore, experience, and thrive,
therefore, I strived to avail that opportunity in every possible way. I worked multifold as compared
to other students in order to compensate for my past deficiencies. I never had a single absentee in
these five years. I extensively studied all subjects especially those which required extensive and
critical analysis of complex reading. I worked on different research projects that helped me in
developing sharp analytical abilities and have offered me the needed confidence in tackling
advanced problems at a macro level. I participated in various seminars, conferences, debates,
competitions, moots, and other curricular or extra-curricular activities which boosted my
confidence and enhanced my oral as well as written communication skills. To the astonishment of
all, I managed to secure 2nd position in the entire class in the very first semester, and following
that I secured 1st in all other semesters throughout my bachelor studies. I was bestowed with the
‘Best Student of the Year’ title four times and Gold Medal on the completion of my studies

Post-graduation, I joined Legal Firm as an Internee. During my internship I realized

that there is no of effective legal mechanism to control cybercrimes and punish
cybercriminals and also lack of legal experts that could identify shortcomings in and
suggest reforms for this area. For this reason, I developed keen interest in Cyber Law
which is an evolving and most important legal discipline. Although, I am working with
senior cyber law lawyer, but to gain core expertise and understand technical and legal
requirements of this discipline, I need to specialize in Cyber Law which will give me
theoretical understanding of complex concepts, along with an in-depth idea of the
practical approaches. Therefore, I am applying to Fulbright Master programme that
would provide me access to leading academics in law and an opportunity to exchange
ideas and engage in intelligent discussions which will broaden my mind and
intellectual horizons. An advanced understanding of cyber laws, principles and
policies will equip me with a unique analytical toolkit for addressing new problems
emerging in the ever-expanding and evolving cyberspace.