The Pakistani Sisters (TPS): Building women up, one free platform at a time

It was the first week of May, and the air was thick with unease. Another Pak-India conflict had taken over the headlines — missile tests, political chest-thumping, and the same old loop of fear and fury. The kind of days when you can’t tell if it’s the anxiety or the heat that’s making it hard to breathe. I was scrolling through Facebook late at night, not looking for anything in particular. Just… scrolling. Half-distracted, half-desperate for something that didn’t feel like doom. I wasn’t searching for inspiration. I wasn’t even sure what I needed. Maybe a soft corner. A quiet sentence. A moment of recognition. Some place where I didn’t have to carry the weight of being strong.

That’s when I stumbled upon The Pakistani Sisters (TPS).

At first, I assumed it would be like most women’s groups—maybe some recipes, a few clothing ads, polite small talk. But within minutes, I realized I was wrong. This wasn’t surface-level. Women were openly talking about stress, fear, mental health, even the pressure of holding everything together at home. There were even some wives of armed officers who were worried about the safety of their husbands out in the battlefield and just like me, were looking for some relief, some comfort, a helping hand, perhaps. Nothing was performative — it was raw, real, and strangely comforting.

I saw posts from women saying exactly what I was feeling but couldn’t put into words. We were reaching out — asking women across Pakistan, from Lahore to Islamabad, Peshawar to Karachi—if they felt safe. Most of us didn’t know each other, yet there was an unspoken bond between us. A shared thread of agitation, of concern—not just for ourselves, but for one another, as fellow Pakistani women. I felt as if I had walked into a room where no one needed me to explain why I was exhausted — they already knew.

That night, I didn’t just find a Facebook group — I found a sisterhood. And the feeling lingered.

The next day, still curious, I reached out to the group’s admin, Afrah Sattar Khan. I wanted to know who had created this space, and more importantly — why. That’s when I learned about the quiet revolution Afrah had started seven years ago, not for profit, not for recognition, but because she believed in something radical.

“I don’t want to build a brand. I want to build a safe space. A space where women could be supported, heard, and helped — without ever having to pay for it”.

Today, TPS is not only the largest women’s support group in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad, but it's also a real-world force for social change. With over 50,000 members, a growing cross-platform presence, and national recognition through multiple awards, TPS has proven one thing again and again: real empowerment doesn’t come with a price tag — it comes with intention, consistency, and heart.

In an increasingly commercialised online ecosystem, TPS stands out for one very simple reason: they don’t charge anything.

Where other platforms demand fees for business promotions or visibility, TPS flips the script. Every woman — whether she’s a home-based baker, a tailor, a photographer, or a budding tech entrepreneur — gets to promote her work for free. There are no hidden costs, no premium tiers, no payment gates.

“I always found it odd that people charge struggling entrepreneurs just to get exposure. That’s not support, that’s gatekeeping”, Sattar says

This no-cost model is not only rare; it’s revolutionary in the local context. It lowers the barrier of entry for hundreds of women who may not have the capital to pay for promotion or advertising.

TPS isn’t just another social media group — it’s a living, breathing community with structure, purpose, and soul. “A family”, as one member says.

But here are some other factors that set TPS apart…

Every weekend, TPS hosts a business promotion activity. Women can drop their links, showcase their products, or simply introduce their services. The TPS team not only boosts these posts within the group but also shares many of them on Instagram, YouTube and their blog, giving members exposure across multiple platforms.

This weekend ritual has become a beacon for home-based businesses, many of which have grown into profitable ventures solely because they found their first customers through TPS.

Promotion doesn’t end with a single post. The TPS team ensures that deserving businesses get exposure across platforms — creating Instagram spotlights, video shoutouts and even blog features. This kind of organic, grassroots marketing is both rare and impactful — especially in areas where women often lack digital visibility.

TPS is more than a megaphone — it’s a forum for questions, advice, and mentorship. Women regularly post about job issues, business challenges, pricing queries, or even mental health struggles. And what they get back is a wave of crowd-sourced wisdom, kindness, and lived experience.

There’s no spam. No toxicity. Just women showing up for each other.

The group’s strong and active moderation team ensures TPS remains a safe, respectful and inclusive space. Trolls are shown the door. Unethical behavior is shut down fast. This has earned TPS the trust of thousands of members who feel comfortable being honest and vulnerable.

TPS doesn’t chase viral posts or social media gimmicks. The focus remains firmly on real-world impact: did someone get a client? Did a woman land a job interview? Did someone find clarity about launching her own business?

At its core, TPS is a feminist space — but not in a Western-imported, hashtag-driven way. The feminism practiced here is deeply rooted in local culture, built on values of fairness, support, and equality — not superiority.

Afrah and her team know the ground realities of women in KP: they’re often managing homes, raising kids, studying, or working multiple part-time gigs. TPS gives them a voice and validates their hustle. It doesn’t preach, it guides — through example, through community and truth.

The group regularly talks about so many things, right from navigating family pressure while working to learning to say no without guilt (a much-needed lesson for empaths like myself!).

TPS is proof that feminism can be soft-spoken but powerful, culturally aware but transformative.

Behind every movement is a leader who quietly fuels the fire. For TPS, that 

woman is Afrah Sattar Khan. She doesn’t post daily selfies or seek the spotlight. Instead, she spends her energy uplifting others, managing the group, moderating discussions and building new pathways for visibility.

Here are just a few examples of TPS’s real-world impact:

●     A group of young women from Peshawar started posting their photography work in TPS. Back then, female photographers were almost unheard of in the region. Today, they’re professional, in-demand artists with fan followings — and TPS helped launch them.

●     A woman who made stitched clothes at home found her first 30 clients through a single shoutout. Now, she employs two assistants and manages her orders online.

●     Countless members have learned how to price, brand, and market their offerings — just by participating in the weekly business activities.

With its continued growth, TPS has plans to expand its digital infrastructure. Afrah and her team are working toward building a searchable online directory of women-led businesses, organising in-person networking meetups, and growing their YouTube and Instagram channels to further amplify success stories.

Still, the core promise remains unchanged: support, not sales.

“We’ll never charge women for being seen. That’s not what this space is about,” Afrah says. “TPS is a free hand when you’re climbing — not a toll gate at the top.”

In a country where opportunities for women are still too often gatekept, The Pakistani Sisters (TPS) has kicked open the door. It has done so without sponsors, without flashy influencers, and without charging a single rupee.

It’s built on community, consistency, and an unshakeable belief that women can rise—especially when they lift each other up.