Pakistan elections: As many as 3,139 women (over 11 per cent) of the total 28,626 candidates have filed nomination papers for the 2024 Pakistan general elections across the country. Among the 3,139 women candidates, 25-year-old Dr Saveera Parkash was the only Hindu and reportedly the first one to file the nomination paper in the Muslim-dominated country.
According to a report by Pakistan English Daily, Dawn, Parkash has officially submitted her nomination papers for the general seat of PK-25 in Buner district. She will contest polls on a Pakistan People's Party (PPP) ticket, the second-largest party in the Senate. The party is currently headed by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who had visited Goa for the G20 Summit this year.
Who is Saveera Parkash
According to the publication, her father, Oam Parkash, is a retired doctor and a dedicated member of the PPP for the past 35 years. Parkash, a 2022 graduate of Abbottabad International Medical College, serves as the general secretary of the PPP women's wing in Buner. Expressing her commitment to the welfare of the community, she highlighted her desire to work for the betterment of women, ensuring a safe environment and advocating for their rights.
According to the report, the area from where she will contest is a Muslim-dominated region and social media influencers called it a revolutionary step by the PPP as it chose to file such a candidate for the National Assembly.
Notably, Pakistan is scheduled to hold general elections on February 8, where the top leaders including former Prime Ministers-- Shehbaz Sharif, his brother Nawaz Sharif and cricketer-turned-jailed leader Imran Khan-- are in the fray.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), as many as 471 women, including Maryam Nawaz Sharif, filed nomination papers to contest elections on general seats of the National Assembly. Meanwhile, in the provincial assemblies, 802 female candidates have filed papers from various constituencies.
Hafeez Saeed's son is also in the fray
Earlier on Monday, the same publication reported that a party backed by the mastermind of the Mumbai blast which is often dubbed as 26/11, is contesting in the upcoming general elections in Pakistan. The Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a party considered to be backed by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, has fielded candidates for each and every national and provincial assembly constituency.
Besides, the Pakistan media report also claimed that Hafiz's son Talha Saeed is also in the run. The media report claimed that Talha is contesting from the National Assembly’s constituency NA-127, Lahore.
Notably, Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has been in jail since 2019 after being convicted for several years in multiple terror finance cases along with some other leaders of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). Saeed-led JuD is the front organisation for the LeT, which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack that killed 166 people, including six Americans.
