Pakistan’s first ever female taxi driver, Zahid Kazmi, is a mother of 7 and one of the toughest women in the country as of now. Zahida Kazmi has been driving a taxi around Islamabad to feed her 5 daughters and 2 sons, after the early demise of her husband, according to local media sources.
Kazmi was married at the age of 13 and became a widow when she was only in her 20s, according to local media sources.
To support her family — two sons and five daughters — Kazmi worked as a domestic helper and later took up a job at a cloth factory, but decided to shift back to Rawalpindi in the 1980s. That was the time when Kazmi decided to be a taxi driver and help herself and her children.
Her late husband, who was a taxi driver, had taught Zahida how to drive, according to media reports.
In the beginning of her career, as a safety precaution, she decided to drive her taxi well within the limits of the city. She would pick passengers from Benazir International Airport, earning Rs200 to Rs300 per day — just enough to fulfil her family’s needs, reported a local media outlet.
Initially, people had asked her about her choice of profession and told her of the difficulties she would face in it, being a woman in a Pakistani society. Eventually, people started noticing Zahida’s helplessness and opted to help her out by riding in her taxi.
We salute you, Zahida!