Benazir was first female MNA, Begum Farhat first MPA

LAHORE: Begum Farhat Rafique, mother of PMLN leader Khawaja Saad Rafique was the first woman ever elected from Lahore in a general election whereas former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was the first ever woman MNA elected from the Punjab capital.

A number of women politicians including, Begum Kalsoom Nawaz, Samina Ghurki, Shazia Mubashir and Shaista Pervaiz Malik have been elected as MNA from the city of Lahore between 1970 to 2023.

However, the first woman ever who got elected in a general election from Lahore was Farhat Rafique, the mother of PMLN leader Khawaja Saad Rafique. Begum Farhat Rafique got elected as MPA in the 1985 non-party basis elections from the walled city area from where her both sons - Saad and Salman have also served as MNA and MPA respectively. Her husband Khawaja M Rafique, who was known as a very active campaigner against PPP founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto also contested the National Assembly election in 1970 but lost.

Nevertheless, Begum Farhat Rafique won the election while she contested in 1985. Her son Saad Rafique won the same seat in 2002 but vacated it and retained the National Assembly seat. Her second son Salman Rafique won the same seat in 2008 by-polls.

Similarly, when it comes to being the first ever National Assembly seat winner from Lahore, it is slain PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto who won from NA-94 in the year 1988 and defeated Mian Umer Hayat. Benazir vacated this seat which PPP lost in the by-polls.

Samina Khalid Ghurki of PPP is the only woman who have won two consecutive National Assembly elections from Lahore - in 2002 and in 2008. Begum Kalsoom Nawaz and Shaista Pervaiz Malik won the National Assembly seats in by-polls. However, Shaista Pervaiz Malik enjoys a unique distinction of winning the National Assembly seat while she was already

the member of NA on reserved seats.

Begum Rehana Jamil is another woman who got elected in the general elections from Lahore in 2002. She got elected MPA on PMLN ticket. Shazia Mubashir, the PMLN ticket holder got elected from NA-129 in the 2013 by-polls. Three women who have got elected as MNAs in the by-polls include Shazia Mubashir, Begum Kalsoom Nawaz and Shaista Pervaiz Malik.