The parents of Momina Cheema, a 25-year-old Pakistani student who died in a road accident last month, announced establishment of a scholarship at the University of Virginia School of Law, her alma mater, to honour the memory of their daughter.The announcement was made by Momina’s parents—Tayeba Zia, a columnist for the Daily Nawa-i-Waqt and Dr. Akhtar Cheema, a medial specialist—on the occasion of her chehlum at their residence in Queens, a borough of New York City.The scholarship will be funded at $ 100,000, and the school will begin giving awards when the funding has reached $ 50,000, according to Paul Mahoney, the Dean of school.
“The scholarship would be awarded annually and a preference would be given to students who express an interest in Islamic law or culture,” Dean Mahoney said in a letter to Dr. Cheema.
Momina’s parents said they also plan to set up a scholarship in Momina’s name in Pakistan for outstanding students to help them acquire higher education.
The Chehlum was attended by a large number of the bereaved family’s friends, civil society representatives and members of U.S. based Pakistani media.
