LUMS Alum Represents Pakistan at the Global Peace Summit 2022

Sachan (BSc Accounting & Finance 2021) represented Pakistan at the Global Peace Summit 2022. The summit gathers young people from more than 35 countries in Baku to speak about global problems, post-war peace opportunities, personal peace initiatives, and took part in panel discussions. He was the only fully funded delegate from Pakistan.

For Sachan, imagining a life beyond the boundaries of his hometown Kunri, in interior Sindh, was never possible. “I was always in self-doubt because I was mocked at school for my darker complexion and for being underweight. My father for the sake of us siblings moved to metropolitan cities for better academic and social opportunities. Standing up for myself and minorities in Pakistan was something that I learned very late in life. As a child, I avoided engaging in conversations related to diversity and inclusivity.”

It was at LUMS that he started thinking about how he could contribute to society. “I started small: at LUMS, I joined the Dramatics club, hoping to live my suppressed passion for acting and dancing. LUMS provided me a medium in the form of Hum-Aahang club to organise Diwali, Christmas, and talks on different social issues.”

Sachan believes that his time at LUMS, was a journey of many firsts; from being the first generation to acquire higher education, travelling, living in a dorm, and experiencing the northern areas of Pakistan. “It was a journey to explore myself. It trained me to not just be good at academics, such as securing a 100% merit scholarship for 3 consecutive years at LUMS, but also to look beyond the classroom. Those khoka discussions, walks on the cricket ground with friends, taking part in class discussions, working late at night for group projects are just some of the things I remember very vividly.”

He added, “LUMS shapes you into a confident, independent, and critical thinker in a way that you don’t realise it during your time there but can feel it right after you graduate.”

Sachan also shared a few highlights from his experience at the Summit. “It was a three-day summit to promote dialogue for global peace and inclusivity in Baku, Azerbaijan. More often than not, when I would introduce myself, people would assume I am from India. People did not give a second thought before reaching the conclusion that I am from India because my name implied, that I am Hindu. However, nationality should not be defined by your religion.”

For Sachan representing Pakistan on an international forum to further the narrative for interfaith harmony and global peace was a proud moment. “Standing on that stage in Baku, wearing the green badge in front of an international audience, I was representing Pakistan before any other part of my identity. I proudly announced: ‘I am a Pakistani and a Hindu and I represent the white part of our flag’. I did not have that mindset from the beginning. LUMS had a big role to play in empowering me.”