ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: Women candidates have clinched 13 general seats of the National Assembly as against 12 in the previous NA.
Ten of the winners are from Punjab and the others from Sindh. There were three women candidates from two constituencies in the NWFP, but all of them were defeated. Former federal minister Zobaida Jalal was the lone candidate in Balochistan while Naila Jospeph Diyal and Noreen Khan contested for the NA-48 seat in Islamabad.
A total of 67 women from 60 constituencies were in the run for general NA seats, most of them as independent candidates.
Six of the 13 winners belong to the Pakistan People’s Party; four to Pakistan Muslim League-N and one to Muttahida Qaumi Movement while two were independent candidates.
The winners were Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Dr Fahmida Mirza, Samina Khalid Ghurki, Hina Rabbani Khar, Aseem Daultana and Azra Pecheho (PPP), Sumaira Malik, Ghulam Bibi Bharwana, Sumaira Naz and Tahmina Daultana (PML-N), Khushbakht Shujaat (MQM) and Samina Akhtar Bhirwana and Robina Shaheen Wattoo (Independent). Except for Khushbakht Shujaat and Aseem Daultana, all others have been re-elected to the National Assembly.
The Pakistan People’s Party had fielded 14 women candidates for NA general seats; Pakistan Muslim League-Q, eight; Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, seven; and Muttahida Qaumi Movement, five.
There were seven women candidates who had filed nomination papers from two constituencies. Robina Shaheen Wattoo was the only among them to win the election.
Women against women: There were 11 constituencies where there were two women candidates contesting against each other. In NA-87 (Jhang-II), Ghulam Bibi Bharwana beat Sughra Imam of the PPP. Samina Khalid Ghurki of PPP who contested from NA-130 Lahore faced Saadia Shabbir of PML-N. Robina Shaheen Wattoo (Independent) who won from NA-146 Okara defeated Dr Lalarukh of MQM. Aseem Daultana of PPP beat Begum Tahmina Daultana of PML-N in NA-168 Vehari. Khushbakht Shujaat of MQM won from NA-250 Karachi where an independent candidate Begum Salma Ahmad was also in the run.
Dr Fahmida Mirza of the PPP won the NA-225 (Badin-cum-Tando Mohammad Khan-II) seat against Bibi Yasmeen Shah of PML-Q.
