Pakistan's First Female Motorcycle Rider - Zenith Irfan is the first Pakistani female motorcyclist to ride across Pakistan. Her father dreamt of traveling around the world on his motorbike, but when he died young at age 34, Zenith decided to fulfill his dream.
[00:00:00] Biker Divas Special Episode Women Bikers Across Borders Riders Zenith Irfan from Pakistan Hey this is Zerat Irfan and you are listening to Biker's Divas that was posted on the website of Biker Divas.
[00:00:30] So let's start with the first thing I have to ask you about Zerat Irfan.
[00:00:37] You are the first Pakistani women motociclist. So how difficult was this for you?
[00:00:46] Yes, I was the first woman to ride 10 kundira fast which was the fast which connects Pakistan to India.
[00:00:59] It was believed that I was the first female to take this trip, I had introduced myself to the first woman to ride a bike.
[00:01:12] I was the first one to take this trip, but all of them were like I don't have family or maybe more.
[00:01:21] They would only ride in the city so that is why they said that you are the first female to do so.
[00:01:29] It's like more like responsibility comes from a responsibility that now you are representing your country.
[00:01:39] People are looking up to use specifically young girls and looking up to you and they are considering you are a role model.
[00:01:50] If you feel that is the responsibility I see, there is no room for error.
[00:01:56] I have to watch whatever I say or post on social media and I enjoy this responsibility.
[00:02:04] I feel bad for not getting the chance to come and I feel good.
[00:02:07] And it is an honour for me to be loved and a door to so many people in my country.
[00:02:17] So we always think that for girls in Pakistan or for ladies there are a lot of restrictions.
[00:02:24] So whenever you started your riding, did you have any criticism or did you post anything?
[00:02:32] Yes, once I was in South East Asian country since I have been to Nepal, I am not used to Nepal.
[00:02:42] Everyone was riding a motorcycle or a scooter.
[00:02:45] I believe the same thing is in India too but in Pakistan it is not like that.
[00:02:50] It is very different.
[00:02:54] And here when I started riding, it was like 8 years ago.
[00:02:59] I was in my adventure riding 6 years ago.
[00:03:02] I was in my city and I started riding with it for 8-9 years.
[00:03:06] I was in my car and I was not riding it.
[00:03:10] I was barely riding it.
[00:03:13] When I started, it was like a difficult sense.
[00:03:16] Before I started, I didn't understand that who is going to teach me but that was easily solved.
[00:03:22] My brother taught me how to ride.
[00:03:24] My brother gave me lessons and my mother encouraged me to go and give her lessons.
[00:03:30] I was so happy that I was able to work independently and independently.
[00:03:36] Before that, I was confident because I was able to meet her after I went on to society.
[00:03:44] It was difficult because people used to work.
[00:03:48] And I wasn't used to it but I was able to get that extra effort from the public.
[00:03:54] And also, you know, first of all, you are riding a motorcycle here at Bighon Art.
[00:03:58] You see her upstairs and you are watching her.
[00:04:01] So you get nervous.
[00:04:03] And if you make a mistake, you know, then they will be like, oh no, she cannot ride.
[00:04:08] They will be like, look, they are not going to let the children ride.
[00:04:10] That's because of their body language and the fact that they are not making the road safe for me.
[00:04:15] I was in fear.
[00:04:17] This CM was difficult but people had asked me whether my friends or my family were there.
[00:04:24] I was not able to stop them.
[00:04:26] I believe that I was very privileged to make a family like this.
[00:04:30] I was thinking about my family.
[00:04:33] They don't clip my wings. They allow me to fly.
[00:04:37] They allow me to post my own passion.
[00:04:40] But the comments from online, you can see from them.
[00:04:44] They are still commenting. It's been so long.
[00:04:47] I would say I would comment.
[00:04:49] I think it's worth the challenge, you know.
[00:04:51] It's worth it.
[00:04:52] Correct.
[00:04:55] By the way, travel takes.
[00:04:59] So tell me that the moment you decided that you will start a motorcycle and tell your family about it.
[00:05:08] So how was that moment?
[00:05:10] So actually it was like one moment.
[00:05:14] It was like series of events.
[00:05:16] There were like a good two year planning and a good two year series of events happening in my life.
[00:05:23] I am speaking about the years 2013-2014.
[00:05:27] When I was very young, I was like 17-18 years old.
[00:05:31] I was talking to you.
[00:05:32] And two years of events for life, first of all, I finished my whole life.
[00:05:38] I was going to school. I was going into college.
[00:05:42] We were having a lot of problems in terms of commute.
[00:05:45] And so I was thinking that I would go and then I would go to Pakistan over the new facilities.
[00:05:52] I was not looking at the facilities.
[00:05:55] There were not many tax-seem facilities in Pakistan.
[00:05:58] So we were having problems and then you know that tax,
[00:06:01] that's how my mother actually encouraged me to teach me how to ride and use the shoes.
[00:06:05] She should know how to go to school.
[00:06:08] She could go to school to go to college.
[00:06:11] And of course, I always knew my father wanted to do it also.
[00:06:16] It was always there behind the background.
[00:06:19] But it was not like, oh yes, I will do this for my father.
[00:06:22] It was like one moment when I had an infancy that I'll do this.
[00:06:26] It was more like, oh you know, halal, as if you are becoming your parent.
[00:06:31] And then fast forward to 2015, early 2015,
[00:06:36] I actually went to this event and it's an insurance fund desert.
[00:06:40] And this desert actually borders Rajasthan.
[00:06:43] India can also border the desert.
[00:06:46] And there is a rally here.
[00:06:48] Every February or March, I was in a jeep and I attended one of those rallies.
[00:06:53] And I was like, oh, I do love motorcycles.
[00:06:56] So I went with my mother over there to see the bikes and the cars.
[00:07:00] And over there I was introduced to the bike community.
[00:07:03] And my mother told me, you know, I want to do this.
[00:07:06] My father and my father wanted to do this.
[00:07:08] So I was going to do it.
[00:07:10] But eventually when I grow older, I want to take a trip.
[00:07:14] And I remember everyone discouraging me.
[00:07:17] And they were like, you know, you can't do this.
[00:07:19] It's not possible to do it.
[00:07:21] It's like a road to hell.
[00:07:23] So, you know, I was like kind of disappointed that I asked for help from the bike community.
[00:07:28] But when I met people, they were also supportive.
[00:07:32] And then after that, I went and did my research.
[00:07:37] And I was like, no, I want to do it.
[00:07:40] And my mother also told me, it's better you do it now.
[00:07:43] So, you know, when you speak about my family, she was the one who was like,
[00:07:46] how do you now do it?
[00:07:47] Because she was like, one time, I would go to the front and be very busy.
[00:07:51] I would be up, I would be up, I would be up, I would be up, I would be up, I would be up.
[00:07:53] So you are 20 right now.
[00:07:54] You have the energy to do it now.
[00:07:56] It's much better.
[00:07:57] And it was actually a very exciting time for my family.
[00:08:00] We were in a second and I was preparing for the trip.
[00:08:04] So that's why I said, you know, I know it sounds weird.
[00:08:08] Because it doesn't happen.
[00:08:10] In India, we were in a very family.
[00:08:12] It sounds weird.
[00:08:14] It doesn't happen. I wish it was an opposite term.
[00:08:16] Okay.
[00:08:17] So, your first ride was a concy.
[00:08:19] And when you decided to do this, what were your preparations, what were your research and how did you get your practice going?
[00:08:28] Yes, I had just met her.
[00:08:30] She was in summer first.
[00:08:33] She was in the middle of her heart.
[00:08:35] She was about two years old.
[00:08:36] I was already riding but not so much.
[00:08:39] I was just very, very well-come-back ride.
[00:08:41] I was in the city where I lived.
[00:08:44] I lived in an army area.
[00:08:47] I was in the western area.
[00:08:48] So here everything is secure.
[00:08:50] There are three rooms.
[00:08:51] There is a lot of work.
[00:08:52] I live very far away from the main city.
[00:08:54] The main main main.
[00:08:56] You know, you can see that too.
[00:08:58] You know, I will be back.
[00:09:00] You know, in an urban environment.
[00:09:02] So you know, I started getting benefit from this area and after that I started my
[00:09:11] business.
[00:09:12] I started from a 1 to 5.
[00:09:19] I started my business and when I wanted to go for the first trip I made friends in the
[00:09:30] other community.
[00:09:31] Although the community that I am not going to give all the community that they are
[00:09:37] going to give, they were some very good people in them.
[00:09:40] They were more dead and motivated.
[00:09:43] They were motivated and guided me to get a trip.
[00:09:46] So I had to do this.
[00:09:48] This is what I needed.
[00:09:49] One of the most important things was Adnan Bhai.
[00:09:51] He is Adnan Hussain.
[00:09:53] He also can see his pictures on my blog, Zanat Irfan, my name is Zanat Irfan.
[00:09:59] I am at the post-itre.
[00:10:00] He is like my mentor and he is a feature of my life.
[00:10:03] He was the one who guided me to get a good approach and he didn't need to pack like this
[00:10:06] because when you are on a motorcycle it is very different the way he packed it.
[00:10:10] As compared to when you are travelling through plane, like when you are flying.
[00:10:15] So you know it is very different.
[00:10:16] I have been traveling around the world for a long time.
[00:10:19] I was able to keep a game there with me like a rain boat, essentially toilet trays and
[00:10:25] you know like a paint boots.
[00:10:27] I bought these boots of mine which made you know what a proof.
[00:10:33] And as I didn't have a bag, I actually took my father's bag, Army bag.
[00:10:40] I was able to see it more.
[00:10:42] And surprisingly it worked.
[00:10:44] It worked so many years back.
[00:10:47] So you know what I prepared.
[00:10:49] And some of the things I learned from YouTube because European is travelling a lot on
[00:10:55] motorcycles.
[00:10:56] So they were on the channel and I would just go on YouTube and look at their content
[00:11:02] and take guidance from there.
[00:11:04] So such a type of patience is part of it.
[00:11:06] You know that sounds like it.
[00:11:09] So how many kilometres were there and which place were you going?
[00:11:16] How did you decide this place?
[00:11:19] Oh yes, it was very easy because the age of me was not that much.
[00:11:27] It was just a stand.
[00:11:28] So like whenever you know one thing, it's very different for everyone.
[00:11:34] But for us back in 2015 you know that back then we had to go to Punjab.
[00:11:41] We would be crossing Skardu, Deh or Cypch, we would be crossing Khunza and all these places
[00:11:47] in Pakistan in North.
[00:11:49] There are our artists and those tourist areas.
[00:11:51] And when we cross, we would go into Punjab.
[00:11:54] So brother and brother would go to the road map for us and it was like oh you know we will go there.
[00:12:00] Also I didn't go solo.
[00:12:02] A lot of people think that I went solo.
[00:12:04] That's only because it's only because my picture film was made.
[00:12:08] I will stick more about that later.
[00:12:11] So a lot of people started thinking I did the solo but my first trip was actually with my team
[00:12:16] of mine.
[00:12:17] We had friends together.
[00:12:19] We were like a bunch of friends going.
[00:12:21] It really helped me because then that's how I first gave you a head start that we had to ride.
[00:12:29] So this year it was my 125cc and the total kilometer was 3200.
[00:12:34] And I didn't realize that it was so much.
[00:12:39] When I came back and looked at my meter, I was like wow there was more than 3,000 km.
[00:12:46] It's been a lot of time I touched all these places that I was mentioning like Khunza, Dehgit,
[00:12:51] Punjab, Passoo, you know you know any areas of Beosai, Astore, Ramah.
[00:12:56] All of these areas were covered and I was able to remain in the office stamina.
[00:13:02] Now I feel I'm just like I don't know all around not old a lot of people say that don't say that you're old.
[00:13:08] I really don't feel old I'm a 26 and I don't even have that much stamina that I had when I was 20.
[00:13:14] So I was like wow first experience I was very like different.
[00:13:20] What change did you have in your life?
[00:13:25] It totally changed my life because when I said no I was like a student,
[00:13:34] I was in my first year of university and I was like oh you know I am doing this degree in marketing and finance.
[00:13:41] I double majoring in I'm in freshman year.
[00:13:45] So I just job.
[00:13:47] I'll just have a job and I'll do this job.
[00:13:50] I had never imagined that after my first trip everything would change for me.
[00:13:54] My career, sports will change, my personality will change, my thinking will change.
[00:13:59] I don't know how much change will come out of it.
[00:14:03] So the first thing is that in terms of my career I have been after my first trip.
[00:14:09] I have been after my first trip.
[00:14:11] So in 2015 I was in Delhi, Pakistan.
[00:14:14] In 2016 I was in Khaiber, Pakhto.
[00:14:17] You know people who have heard about Pakistan, Shahbhar and you know,
[00:14:21] Swaz area, there are two people.
[00:14:23] I went there and I was not scared of anything.
[00:14:26] But I didn't know what to say because even for me as a Punjabi I had so many
[00:14:31] stereotypical things about Pakistan.
[00:14:34] They are very angry or they are like that.
[00:14:37] But society is a stereotypical, it notions their demands and they always
[00:14:42] shatter what I have to keep.
[00:14:44] And I realize that they are very hospitable, friendly people and I don't need to fear for anything.
[00:14:49] I was very welcomed.
[00:14:51] So when you were in your second trip where you were in India,
[00:14:54] you were in the third trip where you were in India.
[00:14:57] So in 2016, 2016, 2017 I was so busy travelling.
[00:15:01] And during the first three years of my venture ride,
[00:15:06] that's how I started having more online fencing.
[00:15:10] So my online fencing was very easy.
[00:15:13] A lot of people started following me and they came to know more of
[00:15:17] me because I was in India and I was so surprised.
[00:15:20] Even in India a lot of people started following me from India also.
[00:15:25] I was so surprising from you know,
[00:15:28] I have so many people supporting me and
[00:15:31] and it all and then the carrier wise met with a sort of
[00:15:35] S&C and you know, companies started reaching out.
[00:15:38] I was so surprised that I didn't even know that it was like that.
[00:15:42] That's the most fun to shoot.
[00:15:44] So that's the first trip I took my entire life change.
[00:15:47] In my life here.
[00:15:49] Bye, Kirti Baskrap.
[00:15:53] The first thing I said was that when the girl will be a bike or
[00:15:59] you can get married now.
[00:16:02] No, no.
[00:16:05] I didn't tell anyone.
[00:16:07] I guess I'm lucky.
[00:16:10] How much did you tell me?
[00:16:11] Yeah, that is true.
[00:16:12] What is fame mean to you?
[00:16:14] It's responsibility.
[00:16:15] I think it's responsibility for me.
[00:16:18] Bike is a genetic farm.
[00:16:21] I hate it.
[00:16:24] One thing you cannot live without?
[00:16:26] I can't live without is my freedom to ride.
[00:16:31] I can't live without this.
[00:16:33] I can't be caged.
[00:16:35] I cannot be killed.
[00:16:36] One skill you haven't mastered yet?
[00:16:39] I have not mastered the skill of coming down.
[00:16:43] I still, I'd like to get anxiety level a little bit more but still
[00:16:47] I am the skill of coming down and being less anxious.
[00:16:51] I'm still mastering this.
[00:16:53] Okay.
[00:16:54] Okay.
[00:16:55] Who is inspiration for you?
[00:16:57] You have been inspired for a few years but who is inspiration for you?
[00:17:03] I am inspired by it.
[00:17:06] It's my mom because she has done so much for us, my brother and I,
[00:17:12] the single mother.
[00:17:14] There are so many reasons that I can be inspired by her.
[00:17:18] And it probably starts from someone who is close to you so I will say it's my mom.
[00:17:22] Okay.
[00:17:23] What would you like to give a woman message for women?
[00:17:27] I mean, women message for people that if you are a woman and you are riding
[00:17:33] across the U.R. so different, you automatically are very different and you,
[00:17:38] I'm sure, know the meaning of life and how it feels like to be on their own.
[00:17:43] Or if anyone who is like looking up to riding in the future is that don't think twice,
[00:17:49] do it because you will change your life experience, you will change your perspective
[00:17:55] of human relationships and nature.
[00:17:59] So yes, if someone is looking up to a passion and generally if you are riding
[00:18:03] someone is passionate about my general message would be
[00:18:07] is that do not listen to others, they don't pay your bills, just go for it.
[00:18:13] And a few years down the lane you will thank yourself.
[00:18:16] You took that decision of pursuing your dream.
[00:18:19] You know what this will be?
[00:18:21] Believe in yourself.
[00:18:22] Perfect.
[00:18:23] Okay.
[00:18:24] Thank you so much again. Take care of yourself.
[00:18:26] Yeah.
[00:18:27] Thank you. Bye.
[00:18:28] Bye.
[00:18:37] Viker Deba's with Project A. Born to Ride only on 92.7 BGF.