TOBA TEK SINGH: Sonia Ali Raza has become the first woman of her feudal family who has entered politics and finally took oath as MPA.

She was notified returned from PP 123, Pirmahal, the seat her late father Ali Raza won six elections and her brother Hussain Raza one election. She was declared winner as the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate with the lead of 70 votes in the July 25 polling but the subsequent recount of ballot papers on the orders of the Lahore High Court, on a petition by defeated PML-N candidate Pir Qutab Ali Baba, changed the result, and she lost the poll with 17 votes. She succeeded to reach the assembly after 201 day long battle in courts and another recount of ballots, ordered on the Supreme Court, declared her winner with the lead of just nine votes.

Her late father remained MNA and MPA seven times and provincial minister once. He also was the Faisalabad District Council chairman in 1982 when Toba Tek Singh tehsil was upgraded to district.

Ms Raza’s paternal and maternal grandfathers and even her father-in-law remained legislators. Her paternal grandfather Makhdoom Pir Syed Nasir Din Shah remained MLA once before Partition and later as West Pakistan Assembly member. He also remained Lyallpur district board vice chairman in the Ayub Khan government. His maternal grandfather Makhdoom Pir Nazar Husain remained once West Pakistan Assembly member and twice Lyallpur district board chairman. Her mother’s brother Mahdoom Pir Mukhtar Hussain remained thrice MPA from Kabirwala (Khanewal) and twice district council member of Toba Tek Singh. He also remained provincial minister for Baitul Maal in 1995. Her father-in-law Syed Muhammad Taqi Shad and her brother-in-law Syed Chiragh Akbar (her husband Syed Zia Akbar’s brother) also remained MPA from Shah Jewna (Jhang).

Ms Raza joined politics as no male member in the family to lead her late father’s constituency. Her brother former MPA Husain Raza is ill while her step brother is a school student. Only time will prove how Ms Raza plays her political role.

REJECTED: The Muttahida Asataza Mahhaz has rejected empowering the secretaries of union councils of the district by the deputy commissioner to inspect cleanliness in classrooms, attendance of students and tree plantation in government schools.

In a meeting, president Mian Muhammad Jamil passed a resolution that the DC immediately withdraw the orders or face protests. Iqbal Goraya, Zafar Asif, Tahir Afzal Warraich, Zaheer Akbar Kahlon, Ramzan Gujjar, Saeed Akhtar Virk and Rafiq Sajid also spoke at the meeting.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2019