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Aqraba Fatima — youngblood from Zulfikar Bhutto’s hometown

In Karachi’s redrawn PS-102 constituency, the Pakistan Peoples Party has picked a youthful ideologue to take on established politicos, including a former MPA and an ex-deputy commissioner.

Hailing from Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s hometown of Larkana, Syeda Aqraba Fatima is a third-generation PPP worker — her grandmother Afroz Bibi worked alongside Begum Nusrat Bhutto, while her mother Bilqees Fatima has been a member of the PPP’s women’s wing.

Aqraba, too, is an active political worker, being a member of the Peoples Youth Organisation — the PPP’s youth wing. A law graduate from Iqra University, Aqraba will be facing former PTI MPA Jamaluddin Siddiqui and MQM candidate Aamir Siddiqui in her constituency.

Talking about her political experience, Aqraba told Dawn that she had joined the PYO at the age of 19, working her way up to its executive committee.

“We have plenty of young men, but we felt it was important to encourage young women,” she says.

If elected, Aqraba wants to tackle gender-based stereotypes and the serious dearth of opportunities for women in public life.

Aqraba has fond memories of working on the federal government’s ‘Women on Wheels’ programme in 2023, which not only taught women how to ride bikes but worked towards empowering women financially by providing them employment opportunities.

Her campaign, too, focuses on mobilising women voters. “As far as voting goes, the ratio of women who participate in our constituency is lower than that of men.” As part of her door-to-door campaign, she is particularly focusing on mobilising women to exercise their their civic rights.

But despite her efforts, history shows that the area she is contesting from is not very amenable to PPP lawmakers, as the party has not succeeded in this constituency in the last two general elections.

However, the redrawing of constituency boundaries may help the aspiring lawmaker’s chances somewhat.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2024



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