108 women vying for NA general seats
Arshad Bhatti
Lahore – Over 100 women are trying their political fate either as independent candidates or party ticket holders on various National Assembly general seats from across Pakistan in elections 2013.
According to Election Commission of Pakistan’s official website, on 272 National Assembly general seats about 100 women are contesting the General Elections 2013 out of which 36 have been awarded party tickets. On KPK seats, from NA-1 to 35, 12 women are vying for elections this time. Seven women are contesting polls as independent candidates while remaining five are contesting on different parties’ tickets.
On 14 NA seats of Islamabad and Fata (from NA-36 to NA-49), three women candidates are in election race. They include; Badam Zari as independent candidate from Fata, Pakistan Aman Party’s Asia Bibi from Islamabad and Christian Democratic Party’s Naila Joseph Dial from Islamabad.
On 148 NA seats of Punjab, some 60 women candidates are contesting the 2013 polls on general seats.
Likewise, on 61 NA seats of Sindh, 30 women are in electoral race while on 15 seats of Balochistan only three women candidates are contesting elections on general seats.
Awami National Party’s two women namely Khurshid Begum from Kohat and Irum Fatima from Haripur are contesting elections on party tickets.
Pakistan People’s Party women candidates including former NA speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza is contesting from her home constituency, Badin and two sisters of President Asif Ali Zardari Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and Faryal Talpur are contesting from Nawabshah and Larkana respectively for National Assembly seats. PPP’s Senator Chaudhry Aitzaz’ wife Bushra Aitzaz is also in the run for the first time from Lahore. Former PPP MNA and federal minister Samina Khalid Ghurki is again in the field on the NA seat from Lahore. From Okara (NA-144), the PPP has awarded ticket to Shafiqa Rao, the widow of Rao Sikandar Iqbal. Another former federal minister of PPP, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan is in run from two constituencies—NA-110 and NA-111 of Sialkot.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has fielded former PML-Q MNA Sumaira Malik from Khushab (NA-69). The PML-N has also awarded party tickets to former MNAs, Ghulam Bibi Bharwana from Chiniot (NA-88) and Saima Akhtar Bharwana from Jhang (NA-90). Another former MNA Saira Afzal Tarar is again contesting for NA seat from Hafizabad (NA-102) on PML-N ticket. Likewise, PML-N’s prominent women leader Tehmina Daultana is contesting for the second time on NA-169, Vehari. Another famous woman politician Marvi Memon is contesting the election on an NA general seat from Thatta on PML-N ticket. In Sindh, the PML-N also fielded Raheela Magsi from Tando Allahyar.
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has awarded party tickets to five women for general NA seats. PTI women candidates including Hina Manzoor, Wajiha Akram, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Marium Batool and Naz Baloch are contesting on NA-54 (Rawalpindi), NA-116 (Narowal), NA-120 (Lahore), NA-195 (Rahimyar Khan) and NA-240 (Karachi) respectively.
The MQM has awarded party ticket for general NA seat to Khushbakht Shujaat from Karachi and Hyderabad.
PPP-Bhutto Shaeed’s Ghinwa Bhutto is contender for NA general seat from Sindh.
Source: The Nation
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