[Pakistan, Monday, 17th February’14]: Leading Pakistani journalist Sidra Iqbal added yet another feather in her cap this weekend as she received an award for her achievements in Journalism at the 4th Annual GR8! Women Awards 2014 held on 15th February at Sofitel The Palm in Dubai. Sidra was bestowed with the honor along with 16 other women from across the Middle East region who were recognized and celebrated at the event this year. Sidra is the first Pakistani to have ever been nominated for and awarded on this particular international award forum.
Sidra is a very popular TV host and a real life example of “beauty with brains” making her the perfect candidate to represent Pakistani women across the board on a global platform. Looking like a million dollars at the Dubai event in an outfit by ace designer Saniya Maskatiya, Sidra surely turned a lot of heads as she walked down the red carpet and later accepted her award on stage. Mr Ashish Bagga, Chief Executive Officer of the India Today group, the leading media group of India, presented the award to Sidra.
Speaking about receiving the award for her work, Sidra said “As a journalist in Pakistan we are faced with a fast changing political and security environment, sometimes so rapid in changing tunes that it leaves us gasping to understand the real nuances. The assignments take me everywhere, from closed door media briefings at the Presidency, to scenes of utter devastation after a natural havoc, but the most trying of experiences has been to meet and interact with the courageous women who mourn the untimely deaths of their loved ones at the hands of extremist attacks. In the past few years more than 50,000 innocent civilians have lost their lives in these
terrorist attacks in Pakistan. This evil has struck very close to home too as friends and colleagues have lost their lives in this battle to uphold and safeguard our sensibilities. But it is not the battles that we have lost that haunt us the most, but the ones we never mustered the courage to fight. The GR8 Women Award in Journalism has rejuvenated my will and my spirits. May this forum of substance grow and flourish.”
Bollywood stars Simi Garewal, Shriya Saran and Kangana Ranaut also received an award this year while past winners included big names such as Sushmita Sen and Karishma Kapoor. Other attendees at this year’s event included leading Indian Television stars such as Rithvik Dhanjani and Barkha Dutt. The awards were aired live on Sony Entertainment.
The GR8 Women Awards have been organized for the past 3 years by the Indian Television Academy and serve to recognize women from all walks of life for their achievements.
