Ahead of the high-drama general elections of Pakistan on February 8, Dr Saveera Parkash, the first Hindu candidate to contest on a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ticket from the Buner constituency, has vowed to establish better relations with India, while championing women's rights in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The 25-year-old Parkash's nomination is historic as she is the first Hindu to contest the upcoming Pakistan general elections, which has not happened before in the relatively conservative province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Her family is a longtime supporter of the PPP led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Speaking to Geo News, Parkash said that if elected, she will help the problems of Hindus living in Pakistan and 'across the border', noting that PPP chairman Bilawal's visit to India and her getting a ticket is a positive development towards the relations between both countries. She also asserted that she is a patriotic Hindu and her morale has further increased after receiving the 'daughter of Buner' title.
If elected as a provincial assembly member, she said that she would play a positive role in establishing "diplomatic bridges" between Islamabad and New Delhi, while the Hindu community — both in Pakistan and across the border — will be able to contact her without any hesitation.
She also spoke on her priorities towards promoting education and addressing issues like health and environmental pollution. She also promised to advance women's rights in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. "I was proud to be a part of the Pashtun culture, but when I got the party ticket for the general elections and people, including my Muslim brothers, came to know about it, I received several congratulatory and encouraging messages," she said.
Who is Saveera Parkash?
A doctor by profession, Saveera Parkash serves as the general secretary of the PPP women's wing in Buner. Her father Oam is also a retired doctor and a dedicated member of the PPP for over 35 years. She completed her MBBS from the Abbottabad International Medical College in 2022 and began house surgency.
PPP KP women's wing head Senator Rubina Khalid termed Dr Saveera a "gifted daughter" to Dr Om Parkash, an old-time worker of the PPP in Buner. She spoke about first coming across the aspiring politician during a party meeting in Buner and realised that the "girl had the passion to do something", following which she was invited to join politics.
Expressing her commitment to the welfare of the community, Parkash highlighted her desire to work for the betterment of women, ensuring a safe environment and advocating for their rights. 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.
Pakistan's general 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. 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.
Notably, the Pakistan National Assembly had 342 seats-- 272 of which are directly elected, 60 are reserved for women and 10 for religious minorities. According to the country's constitution, at least 70 seats reserved for women and religious minorities are allocated to the political parties as per their proportional representation.
After fresh delimitation, the National Assembly (NA) would consist of 336 seats, including 266 general seats, 60 seats reserved for women, and 10 for non-Muslims, a decrease of six seats overall.
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