Mahesh Kumar Malani: First Hindu Politician to Win Assembly Seat in Pakistan Election

Mahesh Kumar Malani has become the first Hindu candidate to win a National Assembly seat for Pakistan People Party (PPP). After 16 years of the Pakistan election, a non-Muslim got the right to contest and to vote on general seats in the Country. By defeating 14 candidates Mahesh Kumar Malani contested in the National Assembly (NA-222) Tharparkar-II seat in Southern Sindh Province.

Malani received 1,06,630 votes, while his opponent candidate, Arbab Zakaullah of the Grand Democratic alliance got 87,251 votes. Mahesh Kumar Malani a Pakistan Hindu, Politician, was a member of the Parliament from 2003-08 on a reserved seat, nominated by the Pakistan People Party (PPP). In 2003, Malani became the first non-Muslim member after winning the Provincial Assembly Tharparkar-III general seat for the Sindh Assembly. He had served as the Chairperson of the Sindh Assembly the committee on food.

The non-Muslim had got the right to contest and to vote in the election for general seat of the parliament and Provincial Assemblies in 2002, after the then president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf had made amendments in the Constitution, but on the other hand, they already have reserved seats in the Senate, National, and Provincial Assemblies.

The Non-Muslim and women in Pakistan also get two opportunities to become a lawmaker: by contesting elections on 272 general seats first, and then from anywhere after getting the nomination from the party, having representation in the National Assembly. This Year, in March, PPP's Krishna Kumari from Tharparkar become the first Hindu women to be elected to the Senate.