Heer Ismail Soho, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) MPA from Mirpur Bathoro town of Sujawal district, Sindh, is set to make history by becoming the first chief of her clan. Talking to the Friday Times, Soho confirmed that she was going to be the new chief of her clan in a ceremony after Ramzan as per the will of her late father, Mohammad Ismail Soho.
Mr Ismail Soho, the father of Ms Heer Soho, was an eminent activist of the region. He died a month back after a brief illness, and before his death he had asked the notables of his clan to tie the traditional turban on the head of his daughter, making her the new chief of the clan.
"My father, almost ten days before his death, issued his will to the notables of the tribe who gathered from different areas of the province at his house to make me the new chief" she said.
Ms Soho revealed that her father had sought comments from her uncles, elders of the community especially Hafiz Ghulam Mohammad Soho, a respected spiritual leader of the lower Sindh, who all approved of the decision to break the patriarchal tradition.
"Hafiz Soho had fully endorsed the decision of my father and vowed to make me the chief and break the centuries old traditions of making the man as the chief of the clan of tribe in the region," she said.
The ceremony was expected to be held on March 26 during the Chehlum of her father but due to the current political upheaval in the country, the ceremony will be held after Eid in Mirpur Bathoro town. Ms Soho said that they would invite the chiefs of all clans from different parts of the country for the ceremony
Mr Ismail Soho, the father of Ms Heer Soho, was an eminent activist of the region. He died a month back after a brief illness, and before his death he had asked the notables of his clan to tie the traditional turban on the head of his daughter, making her the new chief of the clan.
"My father, almost ten days before his death, issued his will to the notables of the tribe who gathered from different areas of the province at his house to make me the new chief" she said.
Ms Soho revealed that her father had sought comments from her uncles, elders of the community especially Hafiz Ghulam Mohammad Soho, a respected spiritual leader of the lower Sindh, who all approved of the decision to break the patriarchal tradition.
"Hafiz Soho had fully endorsed the decision of my father and vowed to make me the chief and break the centuries old traditions of making the man as the chief of the clan of tribe in the region," she said.
The ceremony was expected to be held on March 26 during the Chehlum of her father but due to the current political upheaval in the country, the ceremony will be held after Eid in Mirpur Bathoro town. Ms Soho said that they would invite the chiefs of all clans from different parts of the country for the ceremony
Ms Heer Soho, who has done masters in economics, was born in Mirpur Bathoro town and was elected as the member of Sindh Assembly during the 2003 elections on a reserved seat on the ticket of MQM. She joined PPP in 2018 in March 2018 during the Senate Elections after developing the serious differences with the leadership of MQM-P. She was elected as an MPA on the PPP's reserved seats for the women.
Various people from different walks of life hailed the decision of Ms Soho and the elders of her community to break traditions and make a woman the chief of her clan, whose people are in different districts of Sindh.