In this exclusive interview with Horizon, Senator Bushra Anjum Butt, a dedicated politician and former educator, shares insights from her inspiring journey. From her academic pursuits at prestigious institutions to her impactful role in the Punjab Assembly and her current position as a senator, Bushra’s story is one of dedication, and a commitment to empowering youth in Pakistan. Join us as she discusses her childhood, career, and vision for the future.
Horizon: Tell us about your childhood and family.
Bushra Anjum But (BAB): We are six sisters and our parents, especially my father, were very particular about our grooming, in which education and travelling had an important place. As soon as we turned 18, each of us received our driving license and a car. My parents were very focused on making us independent. They used to say since we had no brothers, we all had to achieve academic and professional excellence. They insisted on us getting an academic degree and work experience. When I entered practical life, I understood why they were so particular.
Horizon: Where did you study and work before joining politics?
BAB: I completed my O and A levels from Lahore Grammar School. After that, I completed my bachelor’s and master’s in English Language Teaching from Kinnaird College University. After completing my studies, I started teaching at various universities, including the Beaconhouse National University, Lahore School of Economics, and later, at LUMS.
Horizon: It sounds like you were poised for a promising career as a teacher. How did you change course and join politics?
BAB: During 2012-13, when I worked at LUMS, discussions started on the importance of educating young people in Pakistan’s politics. The then Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif created room for younger and more educated women within the party and Punjab Assembly. My political journey started when I was elected to a reserved seat for women in the Punjab Assembly in 2013.
Horizon: What was the main area of your work as a provincial legislator?
BAB: My focus was on policy making. I was a member of the Punjab Assembly Standing Committee on Education and a board member of 11 educational bodies, including the Punjab Education Endowment Fund, Punjab Education Foundation, and Punjab Examination Commission, among others. As part of Shehbaz Sharif’s team, we worked on out-of-school children, freed children trapped in bonded labour and put them into schools, initiated mobile schools for gypsy children, improved teacher training, school nutrition, and worked on building missing facilities at schools, such as toilets, whose lack caused young girls to drop out when they hit puberty. We also worked on the revival of book culture. In 2018, our party sat on opposition benches and boycotted the standing committees, but I remained active on various platforms.
Horizon: You have worked with the youth as well. Please tell us something about your experience.
BAB: Our youth is going through a critical time where it needs motivation and positivity. Sixty per cent of our nation comprises youth. I want to motivate them and act as a role model, inspiring them to participate in politics positively. I have had many interactive dialogues with the youth, and I always told them that it is okay to disagree but there is a way to go about it.
The youth have a very harsh image of politics in their minds. Our politicians also think that if we issue incendiary statements, we will get noticed by the leadership. I would advise young people who want to make politics a career to not opt for overnight fame through aggressive statements and viral clips. They should bring stability to their personalities and substance in their conversation, which comes when you have worked on the ground. For a while, you may feel that you are not being recognised but consistent hard work is always recognised by the leadership. I worked for 10 years with dedication and in 2024, the party nominated me for a reserved seat for women in both the Punjab Assembly, National Assembly, and Senate.
Horizon: We did not see you on mainstream media all these years when you were a member of the Punjab Assembly. Why?
BAB: After I became a legislator, many media persons encouraged me to appear on TV talk shows to get exposure and recognition. I avoided the limelight but continued working with dedication. I did not participate in bashing our political opponents or criticism for the sake of criticism even when I sat on the opposition benches. I did not want to be part of this negative spiral. I am proud to say that in the 10 years of my political career, I have never been on a current affairs programme or tried to appear in photographs with top leaders, yet the leadership noticed my contributions and nominated me for prestigious positions.
Horizon: Please share your experience of working with PML-N.
BAB: I joined PML-N because I was impressed by Mian Shehbaz Sharif’s style of work. He is a doer and has a progressive mindset. Likewise, Mian Nawaz Sharif had initiated an internship programme after which we saw many young people walk into the Punjab Assembly. I liked this change. I also looked at the party’s journey – once considered a conservative, patriarchal party – and its work for young persons and women. It appointed women to important positions, such as Ayesha Raza Farooq, who was appointed as the prime minister’s focal person on polio eradication, and Aisha Ghaus Pasha, who was appointed as the first female finance minister of Punjab. And now we have a female chief minister in Punjab, which has had an enormous impact. Maryam Nawaz is doing a fantastic job and making way for other parliamentarians as well. I am fortunate that I joined politics at a time when the journey of progress had begun and got to participate in so many important initiatives.
Horizon: How is your working experience in the Senate going?
BAB: I was fortunate that my party nominated me for the position of senator and appointed me as chair of the standing committee on education, which is my forte. I am all about legislation and policy making and my role as a senator fits perfectly with my career trajectory. Currently the youngest senator from my party, I represent the youth in this august house. I think there should be more representation of youth in legislative bodies.
Horizon: Please share with us your experience of working as a woman legislator.
BAB: It is a general phenomenon around the world that we women work harder than men to prove ourselves. Take any field, you will see that women excel. Women are also more active in legislation in Pakistan due to several reasons. One of the reasons could be that women in reserved seats do not have a constituency, which keeps men more occupied. Nonetheless, women give more than is required for a job anywhere in the world, because they do not get these positions easily.
Horizon: Have you ever faced gender discrimination or harassment in your work?
BAB: During my political and teaching career, I never experienced harassment or felt that men did not take me seriously. I believe that in any profession, women’s experience depends on how they carry themself. Women need to realise that when they act desperate or try too hard, people can gauge and take them for granted. This is a general psyche. Other women may have had a different experience, but I can only speak for myself.
Horizon: What message would you give to Pakistan’s youth?
BAB: My main message to youth is to be tolerant. Do contribute, be a part of the policy-making process and be your own representative.
Horizon: Thank you very much for your time and valuable insights.
BAB: My pleasure.