BY LUBNA AFTAB
“My philosophy in life is simple – you treat me well and I will definitely treat you,” quotes Muhammad Waseem, an Islamist, philanthropist, patriot, and Philomath.
International video documentary award winner of ConnectHER, USA is Muhammad Waseem, a 24-year-old, young, talented journalist. A media person at heart, he not only represented Pakistan at international platforms as a multimedia journalist through his famous “Chain Breaker” project but was also able to win first prize among 200 participants from various countries.
It stands out that he was the winner for a documentary that highlighted women’s rights, irrespective of him being a male from Pakistan. It should be known that ConnectHER raised a voice on female issues and gave opportunities to journalists worldwide to showcase the real problem faced by women through video documentaries.
Mardan boy Muhammad Waseem did not get everything on a silver platter. His road to success started when he got enrolled in a Bachelors program for Journalism and Mass Communication at Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan. To enhance his skills to become a multimedia journalist, he chose to dig the roots before grasping the stem and the fruit, therefore initially focusing on print media and, then working his way up into an internship at News Network International, proceeding as the Public Relations Officer at DIG Office Mardan.
Hard work, determination, and an intellectual approach to seeking knowledge provided Muhammad Waseem with an opportunity to work with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and become a former Alumni at PurAzam Pakistan.
Slowly and gradually learning new techniques of video documentary, radio program production, and building his portfolio with profound enthusiasm, he opened new doors to success. At present, he is engaged with different organizations to make the best out of his time and skill. He is the program host at Pakhtunkhwa Radio Mardan and an administrator at Zalaa News.
He was awarded the National Video Documentary award at Islamic Relief Pakistan. To hook up with other journalists and expand his social network, he became a member of the Global Young Journalist Association.
Muhammad Waseem remarkably is a self-made man – on him a creative mind, a will to succeed, a handicam, tripod, microphone, and an active thirst for stories. Although he wasn’t approached by hotshot companies or a good opportunity, he worked as hard as he could with the minimal resources that he had, trying to make his university and his country proud and well-known at an international level. He aims to only get better and more popular from here on out, to be classed as Pakistan’s best multimedia journalist, and a legend in his field. (Edited by Khadijah Kamili)
Read More: Representation of Women in Patriarchal Pakistan in Asim Abbasi’s “Churails”
