Pakistan celebrates UK GCSE record set by British-Pakistani schoolgirl

Pakistan PM gifts Mahnoor Cheema a laptop and likens her achievement to Malala’s

Mahnoor, who has set a new record in the secondary education examination as a private candidate in Year 10, also thanked the two leaders for meeting her (Screengrab: Shahbaz Sharif/ Twitter)

A British-Pakistani teenager who scored a record 34 A stars in her GCSE exams has received appreciation from Pakistan’s prime minister Shahbaz Sharif for giving the country an “exceptional success story”.

Mahnoor Cheema, 16, met Mr Sharif and former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Stanhope House alongside her family after her results were announced.

“It is always very uplifting to meet bright young minds like Mahnoor Cheema. By securing A* in a wide range of subjects from Maths and Astronomy to French and Latin, Mahnoor has not only made all of us proud but also has also set a great example for our children,” Mr Sharif said in a social media post, likening her to activist Malala Yousafzai.

He added: “During the past one decade, I have come across a number of brilliant and resilient students – from Inam Ullah – Danish School – to Malala, who are the source of great inspiration for students from different backgrounds. These exceptional success stories will definitely inspire more Pakistanis to shine and achieve their dreams,” he said, sharing a video of meeting her in London.

In the three-minute video, the two leaders were seen gifting Mahnoor a laptop and praising her. “We’re very proud of you,” they said. The laptop has been gifted on behalf of the ruling political party Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), the leaders said.

Mahnoor, who has set a new record in the secondary education examination as a private candidate in Year 10, also thanked the two leaders for meeting her.

“I am proud to have received this gift from and very kind words from the two people (Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif) who have pulled Pakistan out of the economic despair and brought so much progress to our nation,” she said.

Mahnoor said she was truly honoured that the two prominent leaders invited her and talked to her. “They gave me a wonderful gift and I am honoured that I spoke to Quaid-e-Mohtrem and Shehbaz Sharif. They are truly inspirational leaders for Pakistan. I am thankful to them for taking the time out to meet me," she said.

Her father, Barrister Usman Cheema, was also overjoyed on getting a visit from his home nation’s top leaders, he said.

“I am over the moon that my leaders Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif have acknowledged the achievement of my daughter. They are our inspiration. They have blessed us today. This is the quality of our leadership that they give respect and honour to others. This encourages children,” he said.

The Pakistan PM joked that while Mahnoor said that she is his fan, but that is only because of “my elder brother” Nawaz who served as the PM between 2013 to 2017.