In a first, Hindu woman files nomination for 2024 Pakistan general polls

In a first, Dr Saveera Parkash, a member of the Hindu community in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Buner district in Pakistan, has filed her nomination papers for a general seat.

In the upcoming general elections in the country, the Dawn reported. Parkash is hopeful of contesting the elections on a Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) ticket. Her father, Oam Parkash, a retired doctor, had been an active member of the party for the past 35 years.

Saleem Khan, a local politician associated with the Qaumi Watan Party, said Parkash was the first woman from Buner to file her nomination papers for the forthcoming general seat elections. Parkash, a graduate of Abbottabad International Medical College in 2022, holds the position of general secretary in the PPP women’s wing in Buner.

Parkash told the Dawn that she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her father in working for the area’s poor. She said she had submitted her nomination papers on December 23 (Friday).

She stressed her commitment to working for the well-being of women in the region, ensuring a secure environment, and advocating for their rights. According to her, women have been consistently “oppressed and overlooked,” particularly in the realm of development.

Regarding her party’s endorsement for candidacy, she expressed optimism about receiving one, citing that the “senior leadership” had approached her father to allow her to run for the general seat. Drawing on her medical background, she asserted that her inclination to “serve humanity” was inherent, shaped by firsthand experiences of mismanagement and helplessness in government hospitals during her tenure as a doctor.

Imran Noshad Khan, a social media influencer from Buner, conveyed his wholehearted support for the candidate, regardless of her political affiliation. He emphasised that she was challenging stereotypes entrenched by traditional patriarchy and noted the significance of acknowledging that it took 55 years “since Buner merged with Pakistan for a woman to step forward and contest in elections.”

Under recent amendments by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), mandatory inclusion of five per cent of women candidates in general seats is now required.