CHAKWAL: Three women from Chakwal — two belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and one to the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) — have reached parliament on reserved seats.

Asia Amjad has been elected for the first time as PTI’s MPA while Fozia Behram, a three-time MPA, has managed to reach the National Assembly on a PTI ticket. Mehvish Sultana has been elected MPA for the second time by the PML-N.

The name of Asia Amjad is quite new for the people of Chakwal as she neither has any political background nor remained in the limelight as a PTI worker. Her selection as an MPA is being hailed as a radical change in Chakwal. A housewife, Ms Amjad joined the PTI two years ago.

“Asia Amjad has worked hard in strengthening PTI’s women wing in Chakwal as she mobilised the local women,” says Raja Yasir Humayun Sarfraz, the senior vice president of PTI North.

She was made president of NA 60 (now NA 64) and played a vital role in the electioneering for PP 20 (now PP 21) in the by-election in January. Impressed by her abilities and performance, the party chose her in its priority list for the Punjab Assembly. Her number in priority list was 22 and PTI got 33 reserved seats in the assembly.

Ms Amjad, 45, aims to work for the rights of women of her area. “I would try my best for the social independence of women of Chakwal,” she told Dawn. She said the PML-N had done nothing for Chakwal in the last 33 years.

Ms Fozia Behram is the only woman in Chakwal who got elected as MPA twice on general seats. She defeated Sardar Ghulam Abbas in 1988 and then in 1990.

Ms Behram has the distinction of being the only woman member in Punjab elected as MPA in the 1988 and 1990 elections. In 2008, she was elected on a reserved seat of the PPP. “My focus is not only women-centric I would strive to resolve the pressing issues related to health, education and agriculture sectors in Chakwal,” she told Dawn.

She said under the leadership of Imran Khan, Pakistan would make progress.

Hailing from Choa Saidan Shah, Mehvish Sultana, who has been elected for the second time as the PML-N MPA on a reserved seat, also served as the parliamentary secretary in the last tenure of Punjab Assembly.

She did many uplift works in her constituency. Her father late Raja Azmat Hayat also remained MPA for two times, first in 1993 and then in 1997.

Her mother Ghazala Farhat was elected MPA on a reserved seat in 2008 but she died in 2009. Through her performance as an MPA and parliamentary secretary, Ms Sultana impressed the top leadership of the party which included her name on number two in its priority list for Punjab Assembly.

“This time being in opposition I would continue to raise my voice for the people of my area. I hope PTI’s government would play constructive role and would not obstruct our ongoing projects,” she said while talking to Dawn.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2018