ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan has honoured the women footballer Abiha Haider with the Prestigious Dukhtar-e-Pakistan award in a ceremony held in the .
The Dukhtar-e-Pakistan Excellence Award (also referred to as the Dukhtaran-e-Pakistan Award) is a prestigious civil recognition in Pakistan presented to exceptional women who have made significant contributions to the nation’s progress, social justice, and institutional development.
Abiha Haider is a Pakistani international footballer and two-time Guinness World Record holder, recognised as Pakistan’s first female sports lawyer. Her pioneering journey spans sport, law, education, and youth leadership.
Beginning her international football journey at thirteen, she has represented Pakistan on global sporting platforms for a decade and a half, earning national and international accolades and gold medals.
She is the only Pakistani footballer to have been featured in an exclusive FIFA documentary and was recognised among the world’s thirty powerful Muslim women in sport.
A University of London graduate with an LLB and LLM, Abiha specialises in sports law, governance, arbitration, and athlete representation. As an educationist and institutional leader, she has mentored aspiring lawyers and helped expand access to internationally recognised education in Pakistan.
An AFC C Licensed Coach and founder of A-Five, she has mentored over 800 students through eight football academy branches, advancing women’s participation and creating opportunities for underprivileged youth through training, tournaments, and workshops.
A member of Pakistan’s National Youth Council since 2021, she has also served as a FIFA World Cup analyst and co-host on national television.
Her international engagements include representing Pakistan as a youth ambassador at the 2022 Eurasia–United Nations International Young Leaders Conference in Russia and, more recently, at a United Nations Headquarters programme in New York promoting youth mental health and well-being through sport.