KARACHI – ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) has announced the pass rates of its latest exam sitting for March 2021 and three students from Pakistan are on the list of its global prizewinners who’ve made the country proud by scoring highest marks among all exam sitters from around the world.
Inspired by the recent successes of Pakistani students like Zara Naeem Dar and Muhammad Abdullah, it’s heartening to see country’s youth vying for the top spots in the field of education and highlighting Pakistan globally as a hub for world-class talent in accountancy and finance.
‘Whilst Covid-19 continues to be the greatest challenge of our time, our students have made tremendous strides in their ACCA journeys in this latest exam session. We’re particularly proud of the fact that ACCA students from Pakistan are consistently making the country proud with their excellent exam performance. We’ll continue to nurture the dreams of our youth by offering them global platforms and exciting career opportunities’ – Sajjeed Aslam, head of ACCA Pakistan
Considered the gold standard in accountancy, the ACCA Qualification rigorously tests the skills, abilities and competencies that a modern-day business professional needs, with a firm grounding in ethics and professionalism. It prepares students for a rewarding, global career as a qualified and ethical finance professional.
Meet the ACCA’s March 2021 global prizewinners from Pakistan:
Kahaf Moid
Kahaf Moid, a young girl from Karachi, has scored highest marks in Audit and Assurance paper and once again proved that young women are the bright future of our country. Kahaf’s father is a telecom engineer currently working in Dubai and her mother is here in Pakistan providing her all the support, allowing her to test her wings in professional accountancy.
‘My mother was unable to continue her education after matric, so she is doing everything that she can to see her daughter realise her full potential and become a source of pride for the family’ – Kahaf Moid, ACCA global prizewinner
Kahaf was a science student and has completed her A-Level with subjects like Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Maths. Due to her extraordinary exam performance, she was awarded a full scholarship by her college in Karachi in A-level.
Global recognition, flexibility, and affordability are some of the reasons that made Kahaf choose ACCA, she added, ‘I was also impressed by the idea that while pursuing ACCA you also have option to earn a BSc from Oxford Brookes and an MSc from University of London. It’s the best combination one can ask for’
After qualifying ACCA, Kahaf wants to represent Pakistan on various international fora and serve at global organisations. She wants to correct the outdated perception about Pakistani women for being backward and forbidden.
‘We’re not the ones with our wings clipped, we’re already flying high and making a difference. Pakistani women are the future global leaders and it’s just about time that the world will see it for themselves.’ – Kahaf Moid, ACCA global prizewinner
Fakiha Maqsood
Fakiha Maqsood, another bright young girl from Faisalabad, is the global topper and has scored the highest marks in Advanced Taxation paper. She has also achieved the highest marks by any student in Pakistan in the Strategic Business Reporting exam.
After completing her O/A levels from Pakistan, Fakiha went to the UK to attend City, University of London for a BSc Hons. in accounting and finance where she scored the second position in the entire batch. Faikha had topped Punjab in her A-level exams and was previously national position holder in ACCA’s Financial Management exam.
‘My father is also a professional accountant and it’s his integrity, discipline, and composure that made me choose accountancy as a career for myself. Having studied in the UK, I knew the global recognition of ACCA and the limitless opportunities this qualification offers. And that’s why I enrolled myself in ACCA soon after returning to Pakistan.’ – Fakiha Maqsood, ACCA Global Prizewinner
After qualifying ACCA, Faikha wants to play a part in the modernisation of textile sector in Faisalabad. Using her global expertise and future-focused insights acquired in ACCA, she wants to help the sector prepare for the future and revive its global standing as world’s biggest exporting city by embracing digitization and innovation.
Ali Shan
Ali Shan form Karachi has scored the highest marks in Financial Reporting exam and has been declared the global prizewinner outshining students from around the world.
Ali is the eldest son in a family of 5 and wants to do something big for himself, as well as for the people around him. Ali’s father is in the field of marketing and his mother teaches at a school. He started ACCA after completing Intermediate in Commerce with an A-1 grade.
‘I’ve always been fascinated by numbers and enjoy being analytical. So accounting was a natural choice for me. I want to change how businesses operate in the country and would like to play my role in promoting innovation and ethics at the workplace. As a country, we’ve been left behind because we’ve unfortunately normalized unethical practices and discourage new ways of doing things. Using my knowledge gained in ACCA, I will be a catalyst for change in the corporate sector.’ – Ali Shan, ACCA Global Prizewinner With 227,000 members and 544,000 future members based in 176 countries, ACCA is recognized as a global passport to building a truly international career with world’s leading brands.