Known for her bold stance on various issues of national interest, former MNA Marvi Memon is among the youngest female legislators who came into public view after getting elected in the 2008 election on reserved seats for women.
The daughter of prominent Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid (PML-Q) politician, educator and businessman Nisar Memon, Marvi was born in 1972.
A graduate of the London School of Economics, she worked at Citibank and Pakistan Television Corporation before helping with the launch of an entrepreneurial venture, Trakker – Pakistan’s largest vehicle tracking service provider. Marvi also made her mark as the youngest female CEO of a multinational firm in the country. She also served in the media management wing of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Although she hails from Sindh, Marvi was elected to the National Assembly on a reserved seat for women from Punjab. She decided to resign from the seat in 2011 following the PML-Q leadership’s decision to join the Pakistan Peoples Party-led coalition government at the centre.
After remaining politically silent for a few months, Marvi eventually announced her decision to join Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N). This came amid speculation that she was going to join Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf (PTI). The development surprised many due to Marvi’s past association with PML-Q and former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf and antagonism for them within the PML-N ranks. Marvi later termed her support for the military dictator a “blunder” .
Marvi is known for taking a populist stance on national issues and is also recognised as a vocal campaigner for human rights. She was also outspoken in her support for contract employees belonging to certain government sectors whose services were not being regularised.
A relentless critic of the 2008-2013 PPP-led coalition government at the centre, she released one of the two white papers prepared by PML-Q on the alleged failure and corrupt practices of the government.
Famous for her on-air antics and no holds barred criticism, Marvi made headlines after reports of a brawl between her and Senator Hummayun Mandokhel surfaced over room allotment during her stay at the Parliament Lodges in Islamabad.
Marvi also authored a book titled “My Parliamentary Diaries” which describes her time and experiences in the National Assembly.
— Research and text by Imran Kazmi
