Slowing her breath and focusing on a bullseye in her pistol's sights, Kishmala Talat is aiming to become the first woman from Pakistan to win an Olympic medal.

At the Paris Games starting on July 26, Talat will compete in the 10m air pistol and 25m pistol events, going for glory abroad and defying stereotypes back home.

Pakistan's medal prospects are undercut by modesty codes which dissuade women from participating in sport.

The 21-year-old Talat, who comes from a military family, is the first Pakistani woman to qualify for Olympic shooting.

"In Pakistan there's a prevalent taboo that dictates girls should stay at home, do girly things, and play with dolls, while boys are to play with guns," she said.

"I see no one as competition. I compete with myself," she told AFP at a target range in the eastern city of Jhelum.