Please tell us a bit about your early education and background.
My schooling is from Sacred Heart and then I spent around six years in the hostel. I think it was that period which instilled a sense of discipline and inculcated morals and values in me. Then, I completed Masters from the College of Home Economics.
How did your journey evolve from marriage to politics?
When I got married, I noticed that my in-laws were not really in favor of a political career. They were more inclined towards working as professionals. So I taught at the College of Home Economics for over six months and then opted out of it because I realized that it was the time to really put stress aside and enjoy life. Though it did not last long because I could not help but get myself to working again. I had the honor to accompany Begum Kulsoom during the 1997 election campaign when she started her door-to-door campaign. And then when Pervaiz entered the political scene, I campaigned for him. Let me add here that it was at this point I experienced the plight of our government schools that had been converted into polling stations. It was an eye opening event that shook me inside out So, with all my heart and will, I promised myself that if we win, I will work to the best of my ability to improve the situation of the government schools.
How far were you able to achieve this goal of revamping and improving the education system?
I tried my best. We became a bridge between the department and the schools. It was an uphill task to convince them, but I took the leap of faith anyway. I remember that Mian Shehbaz Sharif had introduced the “Adopt a School Policy” at that time. He took the task of revamping dear to his heart and was taken aback after learning about the deplorable condition of our schools.
You mentioned Mr. Shehbaz Sharif’s initiative, how beneficial was his support towards your goals and consistent work ethic?
Shehbaz sahab has been instrumental in ensuring that the work I did in the education sector bore fruit. I recall giving him a report on the state of government schools, which were below par. As is his style, he swung into action and ensured that I got whatever support I needed to revamp the schools, be it classrooms, hiring qualified teachers, books et cetera. I am proud of the fact that my party takes education seriously and has been fully onboard to fix the education system. Under Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, I had the honor to serve on the PEF board twice, to work on the “Dengue Community Mobilization” initiative and, especially, I remember that tell you the scale of welcome that I received. There were students lined up along with teachers and the love and affection I got from them is indescribable. It was heartwarming to say the least.
You made great sacrifices in those dark times, how did the regime try to victimize you?
I remember that after the coup we all got together and resolved to resist them. We tried to rally support from all quarters and were in the middle of a human rights committee meeting when the regime picked us up. The regime put me along with 30 other men and women in Model Town jail, and then sent us to Kot Lakhpat jail. Due to some reason the regime subsequently declared our homes sub-jails and put us under house arrest. In all those years we never gave up and stood firmly with the party every step of the way.
Coming back to your political life, after your long and tiring service at the grassroots level, when did you enter mainstream representative politics?
We as a family always thought that it would be best to have only one person from the family in politics. However, the first opportunity came when before the 2013 elections, Maryam bibi asked me to represent the party on a reserved seat. Initially I was reluctant but then Mian Nawaz Sharif sb also expressed his desire and the rest, as they say, is history!
Politics is a difficult field and balancing family and work must be difficult. How do you strike a balance?
I strongly believe that Allah has given women multi-tasking abilities. I have never complained about the grueling routine as often I have to go out into the field with my husband to meet people or resolve their problems. To serve people is a gift from Allah, one we must cherish.
Speaking of Mr. Pervaiz Malik, what has his role been vis-à-vis your political activities?
He has been very understanding and encouraging throughout this time. He’s currently in his fifth term as a member of parliament whereas I am a 2nd time parliamentarian. I get to learn a lot from him and for us, the welfare of our constituencies is supreme. Even if there are 5 different invites in a day from our constituencies, Pervaiz sb makes sure that we attend them all.
There are three members of parliament in your household; do you discuss politics a lot?
Believe me, we don’t discuss politics at all.
Being on the treasury benches must be very different from being in opposition. How are you coping with this change?
Definitely, being in opposition is a whole different ball-game. It is a very challenging yet an illuminating learning process. One of the things that you learn in opposition is that you have to carry out a more in depth analysis of any bills being presented by the government in order to hold them accountable and to challenge them. I consult with lawyers to ensure that the bills being presented by the government are legally sound and are not anti-people.
Being in opposition, how difficult do you find being a member of parliament?
The government is not giving us any funds at all for us to be able to work on many initiatives. In a personal capacity, I am trying my best to ensure that women are given skill-sets to be able to earn for themselves.
here’s much talk about capital punishment by Imran Khan for rapists in the aftermath of the horrific incident on motorway. Considering there has been a blowout of such incidents across the country recently, what’s your view on it?
Ironically, we already have laws on the books as an anti-rape amendment was passed during the PMLN tenure. I am extremely proud of the fact that my daughter in law Sahar, an accomplished lawyer in her own right, helped me in drafting the Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offences Relating to Rape) Act 2016. It would appear that Imran Khan doesn’t read the laws and nobody around him tells him about them either. The attempt to reinvent the wheel smacks of political opportunism, nothing else.
Isn’t the issue with the Zainab Alert bill the same?
Yes, absolutely. Zainab Alert bill provides a one window solution whereby the victim’s identity is shielded, the victim is entitled to get copies of all recordings, and she may not be asked to appear in the public. All safety protocols are provided in the bill, however, the government is dragging its feet and still hasn’t appointed even a Director General which is mandated by law. The saddest part of this whole exercise is the non-serious attitude of this government despite the plethora of new such cases coming out every day.
Speaking of children, do you think it’s wise to open schools right now considering that COVID-19 is still very much around and many cases are being reported even today?
I believe it is not advisable at all to open schools right now, especially when the government has no mechanism of ensuring compliance with SOP requirements.
There’s much talk of the overbearing role NAB is playing during the current government. Do you think NAB has gone beyond transparent accountability?
NAB’s only job during this government is political victimization. NAB carries out one-sided proceedings and as we can see that the entire top leadership of PMLN is being victimized. This is extremely bad for democracy and for the country.
What do you think about the quota system in our parliamentary setup?
I am a big proponent of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus. Our aim is to increase female representation in parliament as women are ready and willing to step up into frontline roles. I think women are ready now for contesting on direct seats.
When not working in the constituencies, how do you pass your time?
I am very fond of reading books, poetry and listening to old songs. The genre depends on what mood I am in.
What advice would you give to the women?
I would urge them to be brimming with self-belief, self-confidence, and they must have goals in place. They should know what they want and then work towards achieving that goal. I would strongly advise those women already in power to hold hands of other women and empower them. They must become the voice of the voiceless.
member of parliament whereas I am a 2nd time parliamentarian. I get to learn a lot from him and for us, the welfare of our constituencies is supreme. Even if there are 5 different invites in a day from our constituencies, Pervaiz sb makes sure that we attend them all.
There are three members of parliament in your household; do you discuss politics a lot?
Believe me, we don’t discuss politics at all.
Being on the treasury benches must be very different from being in opposition. How are you coping with this change?
Definitely, being in opposition is a whole different ball-game. It is a very challenging yet an illuminating learning process. One of the things that you learn in opposition is that you have to carry out a more in depth analysis of any bills being presented by the government in order to hold them accountable and to challenge them. I consult with lawyers to ensure that the bills being presented by the government are legally sound and are not anti-people.
Being in opposition, how difficult do you find being a member of parliament?
The government is not giving us any funds at all for us to be able to work on many initiatives. In a personal capacity, I am trying my best to ensure that women are given skill-sets to be able to earn for themselves.
Here’s much talk about capital punishment by Imran Khan for rapists in the aftermath of the horrific incident on motorway. Considering there has been a blowout of such incidents across the country recently, what’s your view on it?
Ironically, we already have laws on the books as an anti-rape amendment was passed during the PMLN tenure. I am extremely proud of the fact that my daughter in law Sahar, an accomplished lawyer in her own right, helped me in drafting the Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offences Relating to Rape) Act 2016. It would appear that Imran Khan doesn’t read the laws and nobody around him tells him about them either. The attempt to reinvent the wheel smacks of political opportunism, nothing else.
Isn’t the issue with the Zainab Alert bill the same?
Yes, absolutely. Zainab Alert bill provides a one window solution whereby the victim’s identity is shielded, the victim is entitled to get copies of all recordings, and she may not be asked to appear in the public. All safety protocols are provided in the bill, however, There’s much talk of the overbearing role NAB is playing during the current government. Do you think NAB has gone beyond transparent accountability?
NAB’s only job during this government is political victimization. NAB carries out one-sided proceedings and as we can see that the entire top leadership of PMLN is being victimized. This is extremely bad for democracy and for the country.
What do you think about the quota system in our parliamentary setup?
I am a big proponent of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus. Our aim is to increase female representation in parliament as women are ready and willing to step up into frontline roles. I think women are ready now for contesting on direct seats.
When not working in the constituencies, how do you pass your time?
I am very fond of reading books, poetry and listening to old songs. The genre depends on what mood I am in.
What advice would you give to the women?
I would urge them to be brimming with self-belief, self-confidence, and they must have goals in place. They should know what they want and then work towards achieving that goal. I would strongly advise those women already in power to hold hands of other women and empower them. They must become the voice of the voiceless.schooling is from Sacred Heart and then I spent around six years in the hostel. I think it was that period which instilled a sense of discipline and inculcated morals and values in me. Then, I completed Masters from the College of Home Economics.
How did your journey evolve from marriage to politics?
When I got married, I noticed that my in-laws were not really in favor of a political career. They were more inclined towards working as professionals. So I taught at the College of Home Economics for over six months and then opted out of it because I realized that it was the time to really put stress aside and enjoy life. Though it did not last long because I could not help but get myself to working again. I had the honor to accompany Begum Kulsoom during the 1997 election campaign when she started her door-to-door campaign. And then when Pervaiz entered the political scene, I campaigned for him. Let me add here that it was at this point I experienced the plight of our government schools that had been converted into polling stations. It was an eye opening event that shook me inside out So, with all my heart and will, I promised myself that if we win, I will work to the best of my ability to improve the situation of the government schools.
How far were you able to achieve this goal of revamping and improving the education system?
I tried my best. We became a bridge between the department and the schools. It was an uphill task to convince them, but I took the leap of faith anyway. I remember that Mian Shehbaz Sharif had introduced the “Adopt a School Policy” at that time. He took the task of revamping dear to his heart and was taken aback after learning about the deplorable condition of our schools.
You mentioned Mr. Shehbaz Sharif’s initiative, how beneficial was his support towards your goals and consistent work ethic?
Shehbaz sahab has been instrumental in ensuring that the work I did in the education sector bore fruit. I recall giving him a report on the state of government schools, which were below par. As is his style, he swung into action and ensured that I got whatever support I needed to revamp the schools, be it classrooms, hiring qualified teachers, books et cetera. I am proud of the fact that my party takes education seriously and has been fully onboard to fix the education system. Under Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, I had the honor to serve on the PEF board twice, to work on the “Dengue Community Mobilization” initiative and, especially, I remember that we worked day and night during 2010’s devastating floods under rigid schedules.
How far were your endeavors of public good affected by the 1999 coup?
The Coup was a dark chapter in our history and I was very apprehensive about visiting government schools in its aftermath due to obvious political victimization that was going on in those days. I still recall fondly that all teachers of the four schools invited me to the schools and I can’t tell you the scale of welcome that I received. There were students lined up along with teachers and the love and affection I got from them is indescribable. It was heartwarming to say the least.
You made great sacrifices in those dark times, how did the regime try to victimize you?
I remember that after the coup we all got together and resolved to resist them. We tried to rally support from all quarters and were in the middle of a human rights committee meeting when the regime picked us up. The regime put me along with 30 other men and women in Model Town jail, and then sent us to Kot Lakhpat jail. Due to some reason the regime subsequently declared our homes sub-jails and put us under house arrest. In all those years we never gave up and stood firmly with the party every step of the way.
Coming back to your political life, after your long and tiring service at the grassroots level, when did you enter mainstream representative politics?
We as a family always thought that it would be best to have only one person from the family in politics. However, the first opportunity came when before the 2013 elections, Maryam bibi asked me to represent the party on a reserved seat. Initially I was reluctant but then Mian Nawaz Sharif sb also expressed his desire and the rest, as they say, is history!
Politics is a difficult field and balancing family and work must be difficult. How do you strike a balance?
I strongly believe that Allah has given women multi-tasking abilities. I have never complained about the grueling routine as often I have to go out into the field with my husband to meet people or resolve their problems. To serve people is a gift from Allah, one we must cherish.
Speaking of Mr. Pervaiz Malik, what has his role been vis-à-vis your political activities?
He has been very understanding and encouraging throughout this time. He’s currently in his fifth term as a member of parliament whereas I am a 2nd time parliamentarian. I get to learn a lot from him and for us, the welfare of our constituencies is supreme. Even if there are 5 different invites in a day from our constituencies, Pervaiz sb makes sure that we attend them all.
There are three members of parliament in your household; do you discuss politics a lot?
Believe me, we don’t discuss politics at all.
Being on the treasury benches must be very different from being in opposition. How are you coping with this change?
Definitely, being in opposition is a whole different ball-game. It is a very challenging yet an illuminating learning process. One of the things that you learn in opposition is that you have to carry out a more in depth analysis of any bills being presented by the government in order to hold them accountable and to challenge them. I consult with lawyers to ensure that the bills being presented by the government are legally sound and are not anti-people.
Being in opposition, how difficult do you find being a member of parliament?
The government is not giving us any funds at all for us to be able to work on many initiatives. In a personal capacity, I am trying my best to ensure that women are given skill-sets to be able to earn for themselves.
here’s much talk about capital punishment by Imran Khan for rapists in the aftermath of the horrific incident on motorway. Considering there has been a blowout of such incidents across the country recently, what’s your view on it?
Ironically, we already have laws on the books as an anti-rape amendment was passed during the PMLN tenure. I am extremely proud of the fact that my daughter in law Sahar, an accomplished lawyer in her own right, helped me in drafting the Criminal Law (Amendment) (Offences Relating to Rape) Act 2016. It would appear that Imran Khan doesn’t read the laws and nobody around him tells him about them either. The attempt to reinvent the wheel smacks of political opportunism, nothing else.
Isn’t the issue with the Zainab Alert bill the same?
Yes, absolutely. Zainab Alert bill provides a one window solution whereby the victim’s identity is shielded, the victim is entitled to get copies of all recordings, and she may not be asked to appear in the public. All safety protocols are provided in the bill, however, the government is dragging its feet and still hasn’t appointed even a Director General which is mandated by law. The saddest part of this whole exercise is the non-serious attitude of this government despite the plethora of new such cases coming out every day.
Speaking of children, do you think it’s wise to open schools right now considering that COVID-19 is still very much around and many cases are being reported even today?
I believe it is not advisable at all to open schools right now, especially when the government has no mechanism of ensuring compliance with SOP requirements.
There’s much talk of the overbearing role NAB is playing during the current government. Do you think NAB has gone beyond transparent accountability?
NAB’s only job during this government is political victimization. NAB carries out one-sided proceedings and as we can see that the entire top leadership of PMLN is being victimized. This is extremely bad for democracy and for the country.
What do you think about the quota system in our parliamentary setup?
I am a big proponent of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus. Our aim is to increase female representation in parliament as women are ready and willing to step up into frontline roles. I think women are ready now for contesting on direct seats.
When not working in the constituencies, how do you pass your time?
I am very fond of reading books, poetry and listening to old songs. The genre depends on what mood I am in.
What advice would you give to the women?
I would urge them to be brimming with self-belief, self-confidence, and they must have goals in place. They should know what they want and then work towards achieving that goal. I would strongly advise those women already in power to hold hands of other women and empower them. They must become the voice of the voiceless.
government is dragging its feet and still hasn’t appointed even a Director General which is mandated by law. The saddest part of this whole exercise is the non-serious attitude of this government despite the plethora of new such cases coming out every day.
Speaking of children, do you think it’s wise to open schools right now considering that COVID-19 is still very much around and many cases are being reported even today?
I believe it is not advisable at all to open schools right now, especially when the government has no mechanism of ensuring compliance with SOP requirements.
There’s much talk of the overbearing role NAB is playing during the current government. Do you think NAB has gone beyond transparent accountability?
NAB’s only job during this government is political victimization. NAB carries out one-sided proceedings and as we can see that the entire top leadership of PMLN is being victimized. This is extremely bad for democracy and for the country.
What do you think about the quota system in our parliamentary setup?
I am a big proponent of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus. Our aim is to increase female representation in parliament as women are ready and willing to step up into frontline roles. I think women are ready now for contesting on direct seats.
When not working in the constituencies, how do you pass your time?
I am very fond of reading books, poetry and listening to old songs. The genre depends on what mood I am in.
What advice would you give to the women?
I would urge them to be self confident, to have faith in themselves, and to set goals and aspirations. They should know what they want and then work towards achieving that goal. I would strongly advise those women already in power to join with less fortunate women and empower them. They must become the voice of the voiceless.
