Meet The Hindu Politician Breaking Barriers in Muslim-Majority Pakistan
Saveera Parkash is a candidate for a seat in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly. (Handout photo)
Amid the chilly winter winds sweeping through Pakistan's unsettled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the election campaign for the People’s Party of Pakistan candidate Dr. Saveera Parkash is in full swing.
The wind is not the only thing sweeping across the region; change is as well. In fact, Parkash’s candidacy is historic. In the process, she has become the face of Buner district, proudly declaring with a cheerful smile: “Now, everyone recognizes me as “Buner ki beti.’”
The phrase — which translates to “daughter of Buner” — is another sign of the inclusivity her run for office represents. Pakistan’s elections, scheduled for Feb. 8, is to elect members of the country’s National Assembly and provincial assemblies.
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Parkash’s campaign for office is not only breaking religious barriers in the majority-Muslim country but also challenging gender norms in a region that has seen tensions between the Taliban and Pakistani security forces in the past.
“The decision to nominate me for the PK-25 seat comes from my party,” Parkash, a candidate for a seat in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly, said. “With my father's long-standing affiliation with the party, I have consistently felt a strong desire to contribute to the welfare of the people of Buner.”
Parkash has spent the past few weeks dealing with a tough campaign schedule. She’s up at 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. and even traveling on foot to reach remote villages situated on hilly terrain and dealing with cold weather.
Parkash’s candidacy has set a noteworthy precedent in the male-dominated realm of Pakistani politics. At the age of 25, she stands as the first Hindu woman ever to participate in Pakistan's elections. She’s also the first woman to run for the seat.
“Our society is male-dominated and women barely come out of the house,” she said. “If they come out from the house, they are restricted to come with (a) veil or burqa. However, looking at me and this campaign, the women gain the confidence to speak. This is also one of the reasons that I am popular among the women in Buner.”
Parkash earned a medical degree at Abbottabad International Medical College in 2022 and had no intention to enter politics. She changed her mind after witnessing such poor conditions inside Pakistani hospitals.
“I have never witnessed such deplorable conditions in the hospital,” she said. “At that very moment, I resolved to improve this situation. I had two options: Either join the bureaucracy or enter into politics.”
Parkash said she’s grateful to her parents for their unwavering support. Her father, Dr. Om Parkash, is a native of Buner and a member of the PPP. Her mother is Dr. Yelena Parkash, who originally hails from Russia. Together, they operate a clinic in Buner.
The occurrence of women from minority communities participating in electoral politics has been uncommon in the turbulent province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The region — situated near Afghanistan — has witnessed conflicts between the Taliban and Pakistani security forces in recent years.
Parkash said she aspires to emulate Benazir Bhutto, the first female (and so far only) prime minister of Pakistan, who served from from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1996.
However, she acknowledged that there is a type of orthodoxy associated with women. Although Parkash’s parents supported her, she also faced backlash from her cousin for engaging with the news media.
“My cousin told me that in this region of Pakistan, it is not considered appropriate for women to talk to strangers and take videos and photos,” she recalled.
Parkash said that despite facing gender-based and religious discrimination, she has garnered immense support among the locals of Pakhtunkwa. She said she still vividly remembers how the Hindu, Sikh and Muslim communities throughout the province strive to live together in harmony.
"You will be surprised to know that most of the love I received during my ground campaign is from Muslim girls and women,” she said. “Whenever they see me on the ground, they hug me and take selfies with me!”
The Pashtun community constitutes the largest portion of the province’s population, while Hindus represent less than 1%. Census figures from 2017 show that across Pakistan, Hindus number approximately 4.4 million, constituting 2.15% of the total population. However, a 2022 report from the Centre of Peace and Justice suggests that Hindus make up only 1.18% of Pakistan’s population.
For Parkash, the biggest issues affecting people are the lack of schools and climate change.
“While there are issues of poverty and unemployment in the area, my first priority is education,” she said. “Additionally, the environment is also a top priority for me. There are several marble factories in this area that contribute to air pollution. If we come to power, we will definitely take action against them.”
Lack of proper medical care, she added, is also an issue — especially for women. In describing the inadequate medical infrastructure in Buner, Parkash pointed out that pregnant women are only admitted to hospitals when they experience severe labor pain. The unfortunate reality is that, in most cases, they are referred to distant urban areas such as Islamabad and Peshawar.
“Women and children are losing their lives due to the poor medical infrastructure, and this is truly disheartening,” she said.
The female representation in Pakistani politics is extremely low. Almost half of Pakistan’s population (49% to be exact) is female, while their political representation (including senior, executive or legislative positions) is a mere 4.5% of all people elected to office. In Asia, Pakistan stands in seventh-place overall, just above than Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
In the Global Gender Gap Report 2022, Pakistan is positioned at 145 out of 146 countries concerning women's political empowerment.
At the same time, the civic engagement of women is also quite low. Results from the 2018 elections show that only 40% of the 46 million registered women exercised their right to vote.
Win or lose, Parkash said her run for office transcends ideology while also serving as an inspiration for girls of all religious traditions.
“I can see the confidence and inspiration on the eyes of girls of Buner,” she said.
Amit Pandey, an independent journalist based in India, covers a wide range of topics, including religion, politics and cybercrime.