4 Woman Candidates In The Field In NA-87 Hafizabad Constituency

Four women belonging to different political parties are contesting election from NA-87, Hafizabad constituency, including former federal minister for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar of Pakistan Muslim League-N, Fehmida Kousar of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, Sadia Liquat, an independent candidate, and Allah Rakhi of Pakistan People's Party.

HAFIZABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Jul, 2018 ) :Four women belonging to different political parties are contesting election from NA-87, Hafizabad constituency, including former Federal minister for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar of Pakistan Muslim League-N, Fehmida Kousar of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, Sadia Liquat, an independent candidate, and Allah Rakhi of Pakistan People's Party.

Saira Afzal Tarar won the NA election in 2008 and 2013 on the PML-N ticket. She is well educated woman, a Masters in Home Economics and a Hafiza-e-Quran. She belongs to a prominent political family of Kolo Tarar of Hafizabad. Her father Mian Afzal Hussain Tarar was also twice elected as an MNA, once as an independent and then on the PML-N ticket. She is daughter-in-law of former president of Pakistan Muhammad Rafique Tarar. Her husband, Irfan Tarar, is serving in foreign service of Pakistan. She is owner of over 200 acres of agricultural lands.

After winning the 2008 election, she was appointed chairperson, education Task Force, and after wining 2013 election, she was elevated as the minster for Health Services. She was awarded Sitar-i-Imtiaz for her meritorious services in the eradication of polio and hepatitis. She has also upgraded the DHQ Hospital Hafizabad and made the Trauma Center functional and provided all sorts of medical equipment including CT Scan there. Due to sound footing in the district and her vision for execution of welfare-oriented projects, she has an edge over all other candidates.

Allah Rakhi is a die-hard worker of the PPP. The PPP had awarded ticket for the seat to ex-MPA Malik Wazir Ahmad Awan, but his nomination papers were rejected due to his dual nationality.

She was a covering candidate and later on allotted the PPP ticket.

Allah Rakhi is contesting the election for the second time. She belongs to a middle class family of village Dhunni, having no educational background. She may be termed the weakest candidate in the NA election.

Fehmida Kausar of a backward village Borianwala is an activist of Jamaat-i-Islami. She has no footing among masses. She is contesting polls on the MMa ticket.

Saadia Liaqat is wife of Chaudhry Liaqaat Abbas Bhatti, who is contesting for the slot of NA-87 as a candidate of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan. She is a covering candidate of her husband. She belongs to a wealthy landlord family with a rural background.

Meanwhile, an interesting fact has come to the fore in the area: women of four villages had never cast their votes in any election since the inception of Pakistan.

Local journalists recently visited these villages including Kot Ghazi Kalan, Kot Ghazi Khurd, Burj Fattu and Thatha Mallahwan in Jalalpur Bhattian area. Villagers told the visiting journalists that their elders had forbidden women from casting their votes in any election. Acting on their advice, women had never cast their votes in all the previous elections since 1947. These villagers are located in the Constituencies of PP-69 and NA-87.

According to the data collected by journalists, population of these villages is 6,000, consisting of 1,485 votes including 529 females votes. No candidate has so far motivated these 529 voters to cast their votes in the upcoming election.