Lahore’s NA-122 constituency, a traditional PML-N stronghold, is gearing up for a heated contest between two political bigwigs: Khawaja Saad Rafique of PML-N and Latif Khosa of PTI.

But even when the spotlight is focused on the battle between prominent faces, one female candidate has also set her eyes on the prize.

To go up against the political heavyweights in the constituency, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) has fielded Dr Zeba Waqar, a gynaecologist by profession and an alumna of the Fatima Jinnah Medical University. She also has extensive experience working in the province’s healthcare system.

Dr Waqar founded An Nisa Islamic Institute, which focuses on Islamic learning and teachings of the Holy Quran. The institute provides free religious education, accommodation, and food for women all over Pakistan.

She also has a YouTube channel with 17,500 subscribers, where she uploads daily lectures about the Holy Quran and Hadith and answers queries in light of the Islamic teachings.

Talking about her YouTube channel, Dr Waqar told Dawn that she didn’t create the channel for any monetary benefits.

“As an Islamic preacher, I felt it was necessary for me to have a space on social media so that I could reach a wider audience. Electronic media does not give us much coverage, so my husband and I decided to create the channel,” she said.

While she is not a practising doctor anymore, Dr Waqar voluntarily helps women who cannot afford quality healthcare.

“I have worked closely in the healthcare system, and as a gynaecologist, I know how ignorant we are when it comes to issues related to women,” she said and lamented that most government hospitals in Pakistan are in a “pathetic condition”.

She added that government hospitals don’t have proper gynae wards, and cleanliness is also a major issue.

“So as someone who has been through these problems, I know I can do much better for the area and the city than those who’ve been here for years and didn’t do anything except speeches,” she said.

She is also cognisant of the issues faced by young doctors, especially women, and aims to rectify them,

“Every year, young doctors go through so many administrative problems. Female doctors have no protection, no place to turn to, and sadly, this has been the system for decades now,” she said, adding that she aims to make the environment “safer for young female doctors so that they feel empowered”.

She claimed her party always advocated for women’s empowerment but under Islamic rules. “We need to enhance the role of women in nation-building and politics. However, at the same time, there is a need to protect our women, too. Harassment cases have increased in Punjab, and we need to control them.”

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2024