In a historic development in the district of Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 25-year-old Dr Saveera Parkash, a female minority candidate, has entered the electoral arena, vying for the General Provincial seat PK-25 for the Pakistan People's Party.
Dr Saveera Parkash completed her Matriculation at Ghazali Public School Buner, pursued FSC at Kinnaird College Lahore, and obtained her MBBS from International Medical College Abbottabad. Currently, she is diligently preparing for the CSS exam in Lahore.
In an interview with The Friday Times– NayaDaur, the 25-year-old expressed her desire to follow in her father's footsteps and contribute to the welfare of the impoverished in the area. She formally submitted her nomination papers to the Assistant Commissioner's office in Daggar Buner on a Friday.
Dr Saveera Parkash underscored her commitment to working for the welfare of women in the region, ensuring a secure environment, and advocating for their rights, as women have consistently faced neglect in the realm of development.
Furthermore, she revealed that the senior leadership of the Pakistan People's Party approached her father, who has been associated with the party for 35 years, to allow her to contest the general seat PK-25 from Buner District. Dr Saveera Parkash also holds the position of General Secretary in the People's Party Women's Wing in Buner.
Dr Om Parkash, her father, clarified in an interview with TFT-ND that despite belonging to a political family, his daughter's focus is not on competing against other political parties, but on addressing the issues of the minority community and expressing an interest in resolving problems faced by the Muslim community.
“I request anyone to play their role in supporting their daughter or sister to contest in the general election 2024.” Dr Om Parkash lamented the lack of representation for women in Buner district, attributing it to the deprivation of basic resources in the area. He emphasized their understanding of the problems of the poor, given their middle-class background.
Calling for public support on 8 February 2024, Dr Om Parkash urged voters to use their valuable votes in favour of Dr Saveera Parkash, portraying her as the daughter of Buner and the Pashtun nation.
Providing historical context, Dr Om Parkash, a member of the Pakistan People's Party for 35 years, highlighted the party's legacy of sacrifices and the empowerment it has provided to the people, with 80 thousand poor families in Buner benefiting from the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP).
Abdul Salam, a 45-year-old from the Muslim community, remarked that it is a noteworthy occurrence in the history of Buner district for a political party to allocate a seat to a woman, especially one from a minority community.
Diya Kumari, a 22-year-old from the Sikh community, celebrated the move as an initial victory, expressing hope that Dr Saveera Parkash would take exemplary steps for the people of Buner district.
According to Election Commission data, a total of 28,626 nomination papers have been received for the 2024 elections, with 3,139 from women. For the National Assembly, 7,716 candidates submitted papers, with 93.8% men and 6.2% women. Similarly, 18,546 candidates submitted papers for provincial assembly seats, with 95.6% men and 4.4% women. A total of 1,824 women submitted papers for seats reserved for women in the national and provincial assemblies, and 543 people submitted papers for reserved seats for non-Muslims.