Samina Khalid Ghurki

Samina Khalid Ghurki is a Pakistani politician, from the Pakistan Peoples Party. Samina Ghurki was born on 13 August 1956 in Lahore, Punjab. She was elected to the National Assembly for her first term in 2002 from the constituency of NA-130, the largest of Lahore. She was re-elected in 2008, by securing 45,000 votes, defeating her opponents; Sadia Shabir (PMLN) and Ashiq Diyal (PMLQ). She is currently the Federal Minister for National Integration and Heritage in the cabinet of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf; Raja Cabinet I . She was sworn in as federal minister on 3 November by President Asif Ali Zardari. Returning from Islamabad after taking oath as federal minister, Samina Ghurki was greeted by a cheerful gathering of PPP, including Provincial IT Minister Farooq Ghurki, Khalid Ghurki, Arshad Ghurki. Farooq Ghurki, speaking on the occasion, said the PPP had expressed great confidence in the Ghurki family. She is a two term federal MP elected from a Lahore constituency, NA-130 covering border areas. Samina Khalid Ghurki completed her Bachelor Studies from Lahore College for Women in 1976. Married, Samina is the mother of two sons Adnan Ghurki and Sufyan Ghurki and two daughters. She is active in the community welfare and social work of her constituency. Her family funds the Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital in Ghurki, Lahore. Her husband Khalid Ghurki was an ex-MP and an ex-parliamentary secretary,and former Town Nazim of Wagah Town, Lahore. Along with Jhangir Badr he has been the leading figure of the PPPP from the Lahore chapter. Other family members in politics include Farooq Ghurki (Provincial Minister for Information and Technology), Arshad Ghurki, the late Muhammad Iqbal Ghurki (Former Provincial Minister).Her husband died on 10 March at Sheikh Zayed Hospital due to kidney disease. Her areas of legislative interests are Health, Education and Women Affairs. She is a member of the Standing Committee on Welfare and Special Education. She also represents the PPPP on the Standing Committee of Local Government Affairs. She was among the 9 MPs to sign the UNIFEM's 'say no to violence against women' campaign in New York. She is popular among her local electorate, notably said to one of the few 'people's MNAs' frequently visiting villages to condole residents on the death of their loved ones.