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From Small Town to Big Dreams
How This Multan Native Achieved What Seemed Impossible
by Sajjad Parvez | Published August 21, 2024
Samia Saleem, hailing from Multan in South Punjab, is an achiever in the real sense of the word, who recently qualified for Pakistan's prestigious Civil Service exam and has been selected as for the police group. Growing up in a community where girls' education was often discouraged, Ms. Saleem’s determination and academic excellence propelled her forward. She completed her Bachelor's in Food Science and Technology from Multan University and excelled in the Civil Service preparation. Ms. Saleem aims to create a positive impact in the police force, empowering women and serving her community with dedication and integrity.
Q. Belonging to Multan, our city is the largest in South Punjab and you recently got selected in CSS police group. Please tell us about the start of your.
SS. I belong to a settlement in Multan’s one of the four tehsils. It’s a small town and my father worked as a driver for many years in Bahuddin Zakaria University, Multan. Traditionally girls don’t pursue education, as they mostly stay at home and do household chores. However, I felt a little different and was fond of reading. My father was connected to an educational institution, so he was very eager to educate his children. He would say if my children were to study, he would be a proud father.
At first, I was studying in the street school, I always got high grades. My school recognised my abilities and when I was in the fourth grade, they promoted me to the sixth grade. This was very encouraging.
Soon after that we moved to Bahuddin Zakaria University campus and this opened many doors for my education. We got a very good environment and then I got my admission in the university school. Co-curricular activities also became very intense. I participated in sports and the arts and crafts were great.
I achieved a distinction and surprisingly, a banner with my name and picture was displayed in the campus. My father was very proud of me at that very moment. My father amassed funds and got admission in a private school for me in Multan. My ambition was to become a doctor and my mother was sure that this dream will come true. I passed my schooling with flying amd received a scholarship admission Punjab Group of Colleges, Multan. My parents had to pay only 20 rupees as fee, and just this fact made me very happy.
Even though I worked hard, and focused only on my studies but still I didn't get admission in medical. This was a time of extreme disappointment. All my friends who were with me got private admissions, but my fathers resources were not enough to support private medical education facility.
I had two teachers in Punjab College, Multan, who told me that I should join the bureaucracy. I didn't know anything about the civil service, however, they encouraged me and said that Allah created man for a purpose. This clicked my heart and mind and soon I had a direction. Soon after, I was admitted in the university and then went to Lahore for preparations for civil service exam.
Q. How many siblings do you have and are they all studious like and what is your advice to them? SS. We are five siblings and my number is third. I have a brother and a sister older than me. My eldest brother has an MPhil in Chemistry, my sister got married after graduation, and my younger siblings are also keenly pursuing education. I advise them to pursue education so that they can serve the country as civil servants.
Q. How did you prepare yourself for such a difficult and highly competitive? SS. When I decided to take CSS exam, I used to research on the internet for guidance to proceed forward. I found out that Lahore had good academies that prepared students for the exam. Smaller cities have no academies and it is difficult to do self-study. It is highly recommended that students should join an academy. This exam pays off hard work with a strategic methodology, for example, do your research, read newspapers and articles, and widen your academic horizon. No one else can do it for you. The strategy involves choosing the subjects carefully; the combination you must make of them is also difficult. Compulsory subjects are six and six optional. Do not always go trending subjects that score but you have to see what interests you.
Q. What was your routine, as it is said that students put in 18 to 20 hours per day? What is your advice for youngsters? SS. We are five siblings and my number is third. I have a brother and a sister older than me. SS. I used to set a target, for example, that if I have to finish a subject in 10 days, whether I am sitting since morning till 2.00pm at night, it was not an issue. I didn’t even think of eating and drinking in the middle. My motto is that even if we put in one day it must be fully utilized But if a day comes when the heart is not agreeing with the targets of that day, then I was not hard on myself. It's okay to relax, go to sleep, go for a walk, or shop, the idea is to be more productive the next day of study. The anxiety levels are very high during prep time. My mother used to make traditional goodies for my health and bring them to my hostel. This was very comforting and some of the healthy foods keep the brain alert and sharp. Q. What subjects did you choose and why? SS. I chose criminology, political science, American history, environmental science, and Punjabi. It was after studying criminology that I got interested in police service and after passing my exam, I specifically chose Police service. My father wanted me to join the police service my family would say that when you return, come in your police uniform.
The year I appeared for the exam, there were 13,000 contestants. Out of which only 401 were passed, and 386 of them were selected for an interview. The final allocation was for only 210 seats. I ranked at 61.
Q, So what is your message to the youth of Pakistan? SS. I would like to quote the famous verse from Dr. Allama Iqbal’s poem: “Diyar-e-Ishq Mein Apna Maqam Paida Kar, Naya Zamana, Naye Subah-o-Sham Paida Kar” Build in empire of love, make your own mark; make a new dawn, a new dusk, make a new world!
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