LAHORE: Fashion designer Khadijah Shah has announced relinquishing her US citizenship to accept a reserved National Assembly seat for women on the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s ticket offered by party founder Imran Khan.

Ms Shah was arrested in the May 9 riots case and remained incarcerated for over six months. She was released after she was granted bail by a local court in Quetta on Dec 28 last year.

While Ms Shah is beginning the process to relinquish her dual nationality, she has nominated Barrister Mehrunnisa Sajjad, who has focused on constitutional and human rights, to represent her in the National Assembly. The Pakistani law prohibits dual nationals from serving as members of parliament.

In an announcement on her Instagram account, Ms Shah stated: “Making the decision to relinquish my US citizenship, which guarantees freedom, safety, and opportunity, was not easy. However, Pakistan is my motherland, the place I call home, and the country where I’ve built my life. I cannot give up on it and my people.”

The renowned designer maintained that she personally experienced “unimaginable injustice over the last year and a half,” but the adversity instilled a sense of purpose within her. Ms Shah said she was driven by her desire to make a difference for Pakistan.

“I’m honoured that chairman PTI and my lifelong hero, Imran Khan, considered me worthy of representing his party and being part of his vision for Pakistan. I accepted his offer to take the reserved seat and hope to live up to his expectations and those of my fellow citizens,” the designer stated.

Until her dual nationality issue is resolved, Ms Shah has nominated Mehrunnisa Sajjad to represent her. She detailed that Ms Sajjad was an Oxford University graduate and a barrister who “dedicated her career to advocating for the marginalised and downtrodden in Pakistan.”

She clarified that Ms Sajjad was not a family member or friend and was chosen after careful consideration because she embodied what she hoped every Pakistani woman could have the opportunity to become.

“Like me, Mehrunnisa was passionate about fighting for the rights of the marginalised, establishing genuine democracy and driving progress in Pakistan. I’m proud to have nominated such an exceptional young Pakistani woman to represent PTI and myself in parliament,” Ms Sajjad said.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2024