Bold, Passionate, and Just 16

Isa Iqbal ’26 remembers feeling helpless when an uncle lost property in a housing scheme in Pakistan.  

Iqbal, who was born and raised in Lahore, the country’s capital, said his uncle believed he was involved in a successful venture as a business partner—only to find he’d signed away his land in misleading paperwork. He didn’t have any legal recourse because the country’s judicial framework is full of gaps and ambiguity often exploited by such schemes. 

“I was so saddened to see this happen to him and so outraged,” recalled Iqbal, a junior majoring in mathematical economics. “And I wasn’t just upset for him. There are so many people in my country who have been taken advantage of because no one really understands their rights or how the process works.” 

It’s not just true of Pakistani property rights. Iqbal said victims of sexual assault and domestic abuse often don’t understand their legal rights, either. Such situations prompted Iqbal, who was still in high school at the time, and some classmates to create two nonprofits aimed at empowering Pakistan’s citizenry to understand their constitutional rights and combat domestic violence.  

Today, both nonprofits are still going strong, and Iqbal continues to monitor their progress with colleagues on the ground in Pakistan. He said plans are in the works to develop a more permanent structure, funding, and legal network for both organizations so that they can extend their help to anyone in Pakistan who needs it. 

“I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished so far,” Iqbal said. “My hope is that our current efforts will enable these organizations to continue long into the future.” 

Aagah and Himmat: “Awareness” and “Power”  

The two nonprofits established by Iqbal and his friends are Aagah Pakistan (“awareness” in Urdu), which focuses on educating citizens about Pakistan’s constitution, and Himmat (“power” in Urdu), which addresses domestic violence.  

In the past five years, they have created awareness campaigns in local schools and used social media to provide articles and information. Aagah Pakistan’s social media efforts have made its content among the top news items read in Pakistan. Himmat also uses social media, but this organization focuses on in-person workshops, Iqbal explained, because the subject requires more human contact to be effective. 

“You have to talk face to face to earn someone’s trust when you’re talking about domestic abuse,” he said. “We’ve been very careful to create a positive environment whenever we’ve addressed large groups because you might have potential victims and abusers in the same audience. The situation can become quickly hostile if someone feels you’re targeting them. Our hope is that abusers will see there are real consequences for their actions, and victims will see there are actually laws that can protect them.” 

An Ethos That Inspired Him

Though Iqbal’s social justice work started before attending Pitzer, he said the College’s atmosphere of social justice and community engagement were important factors in his decision to apply. 

“I was looking for a place that shared my values,” he said. “A lot of people focus only on schools with prestige and nothing else. I needed more than that. The whole idea of Pitzer and its five core values really struck me.” 

Iqbal speaks with so much authority and insight about his activist experiences that it may be hard to believe he’s only in his early 20s. Older people frequently underestimate what young people can do, he said, and it’s important that they don’t underestimate themselves, either. 

“People are always saying to wait until you’re older and more experienced before you can help others. I don’t think you should have to do that if you’re passionate about what you do,” he said. “If you really want to bring about change, you’ll find a way, even if you’re very young and worried about failing. That’s what I’ve learned. Coming to Pitzer has reinforced my belief even more.”