Hindu woman Sawera to contest Pakistan election from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

ISLAMABAD: A Hindu woman is preparing to contest in Pakistan's general election to be held on February 8, 2024. Dr Sawera Prakash is contesting elections in the Buner district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Sawera, who is contesting for the PK-25 seat, has submitted her nomination papers. She is the district general secretary of the women's wing of the Pakistan People's Party in Buner. She completed her MBBS in 2022 from Abbottabad International Medical College. Sawera’s father Om Prakash, a retired doctor, has been an active member of the Pakistan People's Party for the past 35 years.

Sawera says that her desire to become a member of the legislature arose from her experience of poor conditions in government hospitals which she endured as a doctor and she wants to follow her father's path of working for the poor. Sawera believes her candidacy can serve as a catalyst for more women's participation in elections which she believes can upend the social economic dynamics of the country.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has mandated a minimum of five per cent representation of women candidates in public seats.