First Hindu PPP candidate from Buner PK-25, Dr. Saveera Parkash, promises stronger links with India
Dr. Saveera Parkash, the first Hindu candidate running in the 2019 general elections from the Buner (PK-25) constituency on the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) ticket, declared that, should she win, she will support women’s rights in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and work to strengthen diplomatic ties between Pakistan and India.
The party has made history in the province with her nomination; the well-educated candidate is a member of the minority Hindu community, which is unprecedented for a comparatively conservative KP.
The 25-year-old claimed to have been given the title “daughter of Buner,” and the “Muslim brothers” promised to back her wholeheartedly in addition to giving her their votes. Humanity is the world’s largest religion, according to Dr. Saveera.
Dr. Saveera was born in the hamlet of Dagar in 1998. She completed her FSC in pre-medical education in Lahore, while her elementary and secondary education was provided in her home district. After completing her medical studies in Abbottabad, the young physician started working from home.
After being granted a ticket by the PPP to contest in the next elections, she was presently getting ready for the Central Superior Services (CSS) in Pakistan. Dr. Saveera decided to run for office with the PPP because her family had supported the party for 37 years.
Her top legislative priority after winning the election would be to advance education and deal with problems like environmental degradation and health. Along with the lack of healthcare education and awareness, she is also concerned about the dearth of healthcare services in her district.
She also believes that women have less rights and progression possibilities, and resolving these issues is one of her major concerns.
The visit to India by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who also received a party ticket, is a good step forward for bilateral relations. Dr. Saveera will assist in resolving the issues facing Hindus who reside in Pakistan and across the border if she is elected to the legislature.
The young politician will try her luck on the PPP’s ticket after quitting the medical field and delaying her wish to go for the competitive exam in Pakistan. The PPP has also reserved her name for a special women’s seat in the KP parliament.
Her confidence “rose higher than the Himalayas” after she received so much support. “I was proud to be a part of the Pashtun culture, but when I got the party ticket for the general elections and people, including my Muslim brothers, came to know about it, I received several congratulatory and encouraging messages,” she said, sharing her amazement at feeling supported.
Dr. Saveera went on to say that she has never felt rejected since people support her. The fact that other parties are supporting the youthful politician in addition to the PPP suggests that Muslim voters will also cast ballots for her.
The prospective candidate claimed to be a patriotic Hindu, and that her confidence has grown even more since being named the “daughter of Buner.” She will contribute positively to the relations between Islamabad and New Delhi if elected to the provincial parliament, and the Hindu community, both in Pakistan and beyond the border, will feel free to reach her.
The politician described Bilawal’s visit to Goa as a significant step towards promoting Indo-Pak relations. The politician will compete in one of the most important elections in the nation’s recent political history.
Senator Rubina Khalid, the chairman of the PPP KP’s women’s wing, referred to Dr. Saveera as a “gifted daughter” of Dr. Om Prakash, a longtime PPP employee in Buner. After realizing that the “girl had the passion to do something” during a party gathering in Buner, she said she had first encountered the would-be politician and had been invited to enter politics.
According to Senator Khalid, the PPP does not discriminate against women or minorities and is a symbol of federation.
“This is the reason why Dr Saveera Parkash got the ticket from Buner and we created a new history in KP, while in Sindh, too, we brought forward people belonging to minorities, not only in the election battle but also in the assembly,” she stated.
Prior to this, Dr. Saveera made the decision to pursue medicine as a vocation, drawing inspiration from her father’s humanitarian activities. “Buner is a backward district where problems are aplenty and facilities are lacking,” she stated.
The young doctor realized during her home job that, given her decision to get into politics, she would need to take a different approach to solving the district’s issues.
Awami National League (ANP) leader Samar Haroon Bilour, who is also running for the general seat in the polls, welcomed Dr. Saveera into the political fold and stated that women should enter politics and that minorities should be supported.
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