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Fists of fury - 7th May 2021

Women in Pakistan’s Hazara community are taking up karate in their hundreds, both for physical protection and personal improvement.

The city of Quetta’s mainly Shia Muslim Hazara community make up the majority of its residents. However, they face discrimination and reside in special areas protected by guards and checkpoints.

In public, Hazara women face constant harassment from men touching them inappropriately. Markets, streets and municipal transport all pose a threat.

Despite certain issues being beyond their control, people like Nargis Batool feel empowered by practising martial arts.

Nargis Batool: "So, we can never stop these bomb blasts by our karate, this is obvious. But there is one thing else – the, it is a self defence. Suppose, you can freely, confidently go anywhere at night and you can just defend yourself that way.

"But there was one time my friend, somebody was just teasing her on the way. And when I went to that guy, he never teased him, her again. But I never kicked him or slap him or anything like that."

The region’s 25 karate clubs now have 4,000 students attending classes. The majority of these are women in both the largest academies.

Participating in competitions is beginning to provide earnings to many Hazara women, perhaps encouraged by the fortunes of Nargis Hazara and Kulsoon Hazara. These national champions have enjoyed success at international level.

Although women’s involvement in sports remains comparatively rare in Pakistan, the culture is shifting. Young women are attracted to the benefits of karate, as instructor Fida Hussain Kazami explains.

Fida Hussain Kazmi: "Apart from self-defence, it has many benefits. It has health benefits. There are many opportunities for females in karate. It allows girls to be appointed in various departments so that they can support their home and make the country famous at an international level."