Dr. Fehmida Mirza today created history when she became the first ever woman to be elected as speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly. If I am not wrong, she is also the first every woman to achieve this position in entire Muslim world. She was the candidate of PPP, PML(N), ANP and JUI(F) and secured more than 2/3 of the total votes. She got 249 out of 324 votes casted while her opponent Sardar Mohammad Israr Tareen of PML(Q) could only secure 70 votes. It was interesting to see JUI(F) chief Moulana Fazal Ur Rehman voting for a woman candidate when first he showed some reservations. I guess ministries and urge to join government makes one do anything and everything :). Faisal Kundi has been elected deputy speaker defeating Khush Bakht Shujat.
Dr. Fehmida Mirza belongs to a very influential family of Hyderabad, Sindh and her husband Zulifiqar Mirza is considered a very trusted and close friend of PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari. During previous governments of Benazir Bhutto, Mirza was often accused of being Asif Zardari’s front-man in alleged shady deals. That was why Mirza, whose car registration Zulfi One, used to make waves in the federal capital during those days, disappeared from the scene after the dismissal of second Benazir government in 1996.
Dr. Fehmida Mirza won NA seat in February 18 elections from Badin on a general seat and her husband has also been elected in Sindh Assembly. According to official website of PPPP, born on December 20, 1956 in Karachi, she is an agriculturist and business woman by profession and is politically affiliated with the PPPP. She was previously elected MNA in 1997. Dr. Fehmida Mirza did her M.B.B.S degree from Liaquat Medical College, Jamshoro in the year 1982. Married, with two sons and two daughters, she has travelled to U.S.A, U.K, Canada, Switzerland, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand. She enjoys reading.
According to Geo:
Dr. Fehmida Mirza has been elected first ever woman speaker of National Assembly.
Opposition had nominated Israr Tareen for speaker’s office. The voting was carried out through secret ballot.
Dr Fahmida Mirza received 249 out of 324 votes, of which 319 were valid and five votes were declared invalid. Asrar Tareen received 70 votes.
Dr Fehmida Mirza hails from Badin in Sindh and has been winning elections continuously since 1997. She is wife of Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza, a close friend of PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari. Hailing from an influential political family of Sindh, the 51-year-old Dr Fehmida Mirza has won the National Assembly seat in open electoral contest from Badin in 1997, 2002 and 2008.
Among prominent members of the family are her grandfather Qazi Abdul Qayyum, who was the first Muslim president of Hyderabad Municipality.
Her uncle Qazi Muhammad Akbar was a member of the Provincial Assembly and served as minister of home, finance, public works and information at various times. Dr Mirza’s father Qazi Abid started his political career as Chairman Hyderabad Division Council. He later served as Federal Minister for Education, Water and Power, Food and Agriculture and Information. He was also thrice Secretary General of the APNS.
Her brother Qazi Asad has served as APNS secretary-general nine times and also remained the CPNE secretary-general. He was also a PPP MNA and in that capacity served as chairman of the standing committee on information. Her cousin Qazi Aslam has been secretary-general APNS four times.
We sincerely wish Dr. Fehmida Mirza best of luck and hope this assembly would be run in a much better way than the previous one. Let’s hope that government formation process completes quickly now and everyone is able to focus on real issues on hand.
Dr. Fehmida Mirza belongs to a very influential family of Hyderabad, Sindh and her husband Zulifiqar Mirza is considered a very trusted and close friend of PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari.
Dam! … I think we should not expect any thing from new government
Best wishes…
I know her personally and can mention this with confidence that she will prove to be an effective leader in the Assembly. Basic reasons being that she has proved her loyalty, not only to the PPP, to her constituents as well. She does not belong to the class of ‘illiterate elite’, is a highly educated woman herself and descends from an educated family of Sind. My congratulations to her on a very well deserved position and all the best wishes.
While I am very happy for Dr. Mirza and wish her the best, the high-achieving women of “influential families” (and it looks like she is a landowner, too) are not the representatives of average women any more than their fathers/husbands/brothers are representatives of the average man. The “influential familes” are there to feather their own nests and the fact that their female members are sometimes involved in the process should not surprise anybody. Yet tomorrow this will be on all the feminist blogs on the internet as “a great step forward for women’s rights”. Please. It’s really not. A great step forward for women’s rights would be the repeal of the Hudood ordinances or the emergence of a prominent woman in any field whose achievements don’t have their roots in her family’s high connections.
Figureheads are just that–figureheads. Some may argue that figureheads have some symbolic value that “trickles down” to other women. But during England’s infamously sexist Victorian times, when women didn’t have any semblance of rights, couldn’t vote, travel without a companion, live independently, or own property, England was ruled by a queen.
So let’s judge Dr. Mirza by what she does for women, and not claim that this represents progress for women just because she happens to be one.
And Dr. Mirza if you read this–whatever you do, DON’T hug anybody, please!
Of course it is a historical day for Pakistan our parliament has elected Dr. Fahmida Mirza, as the first speaker of parliament in the entire Muslim world.
The attitude of this nascent parliament at the moment seems very mature with the commitment of maintaining its integrity as well as ensuring the restoration and supremacy of independent judiciary.
I hope the new speaker will run the business of the house with impartiality unlike her predecessor who was alleged to be a speaker of PML Q rather than national assembly.
Lets us pray and hope for the supremacy of parliament and propagation of real democracy in our country.