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Arfa Abdul Karim Randhawa (2 February 1995  – 14 January 2012)

was a Pakistani student and computer prodigy, who in 2004 at the age of nine years became Microsoft

Certified Professional (MCP), the youngest in the world until 2008. She was invited by Bill Gates to visit

the Microsoft Headquarters in the USA.

EARLY LIFE: 

Arfa was born to a family from the village of Chak No. 4JB Ram Dewali in Faisalabad, Punjab. After

returning to Pakistan from a visit to Microsoft headquarters, Arfa gave numerous television and

newspaper interviews. S. Somasegar the vice president of the Software Development Division, wrote

about her in his blog. On 2 August 2005, Arfa Abdul Karim was presented the Fatimah Jinnah Gold Medal

in the field of Science and Technology by the then Prime Minister Of Pakistan Shaukat Aziz on theoccasion of 113th birth anniversary of Fatima Jinnah.She also received the Salaam Pakistan Youth Award

again in August 2005 from the President of Pakistan. Arfa Abdul Karim is also the recipient of the

President's Award Of Pride Of Performance, a civil award usually granted to people who have shown

excellence in their respective fields over a long period of time. She is the youngest recipient of this award.

In recognition of her achievement Arfa was made brand ambassador for Pakistan Telecommunication

company 's 3G Wireless Broadband service named EVO in January 2010. 

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REPRESENTATION AT INTERNATIONAL FORUMS:

Arfa Abdul Karim has represented Pakistan on various international forums, and was invited by the

Pakistan Information Technology Professionals Forum for a stay of two weeks in Dubai. A dinner

reception was hosted for her there, which was attended by the dignitaries of Dubai including the

Ambassador of Pakistan. During that trip, Arfa was presented with various awards and gifts including alaptop.In November 2006, Arfa attended the Tech-Ed Developers conference themed Get ahead of the 

game held in Barcelona on an invitation from Microsoft.[9]

 She was the only Pakistani among over 5000

developers in that conference. 

CARDIAC ARREST:

In 2011, at the age of 16, Arfa Abdul Karim was studying at the Lahore Grammar School Paragon

Campus in her second year of A-levels. On 22 December 2011 she suffered a cardiac arrest after

anepileptic seizure that damaged her brain, and was admitted to Lahore's Combined Military

Hospital (CMH) in critical condition.

On 9 January 2012, Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, contacted Arfa's parents and directed his doctors to

adopt "every kind of measure" for her treatment. Gates set up a special panel of international doctors who

remained in contact with her local doctors through teleconference. The panel received details about her

illness and provided assistance in diagnosis and treatment. Local doctors dismissed the option of moving

Arfa to another hospital owing to her being on a ventilator and in critical condition. Members of Arfa's

family have lauded Bill Gates for offering to bear her treatment expenses.

On 13 January 2012, Arfa Abdul Karim started to improve and some parts of her brain showed signs of

improvement. Her father, Amjad Abdul Karim Randhawa, said Microsoft had raised the possibility of flying

Arfa to the US for care.

DEATH:

On 14 January 2012, 16-year-old Arfa Abdul Karim died at 9:50 PM (Pakistan Standard Time) at

Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Lahore. Her Namaz-e-Janaza was offered in Cavalry Ground Lahore

at 10 AM on 15 January 2012, then at 2:00pm in D Ground Faisalabad, and later in her village Chak Ram

Divali at 4:00 pm the same day. The funeral was attended by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz

Sharif. She was buried at her ancestral village Chak No. 4JB Ram Dewali Faisalabad.

ARFA SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY PARK: 

On 15 January 2012, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced that the name of Lahore Technology Park

would be changed to Arfa Software Tecnology Park.