Youngest Microsoft professional Arifa Karim Passes away in Lahore

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Lahore: Arifa Kareem Randhawa, the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and hailing from Pakistan, breathed her last after remaining admitted at the Combine Military Hospital (CMH) here on Saturday night.

16 years old Arifa’s funeral prayer will be offered at three different places on Sunday at 10 AM in Canttonment area of Lahore and later at Faislabad.

She remained in intensive care unit at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) after suffering an epileptic seizure and cardiac arrest a few weeks ago.

However, she had then miraculously responded to certain stimuli, as recently as January 14. Aarifa’s father, Amjad Karim Randhawa had said that she had shown the sign of life when her foot was stimulated. “Her toes curved slightly downward when her foot was tickled,” he said, adding that earlier she had exhibited the Corneal Reflex, whereby her eyes blinked a few times.

Arif, 16, is a daughter of retired Lt. Colonel of Pakistan army. She became the world’s youngest MCP in 2003 at the age of 9.

She was invited by Bill Gates to visit the Microsoft headquarters in the USA when she was only 10-year-old. In August 2005, Arifa was also awarded the Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal in the field of science and technology by then Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

She also received the Salaam Pakistan Youth Award again in 2005 set up by Pakistan’s only Nobel laureate Dr Abdul Salam. She is also the recipient of the Presidential Award for Pride of Performance.