Kashmala Tariq MNA PML (Q)

Kashmala Tariq

The face above speaks volumes of Ms. Kashmala Tariq’s poise and determination. She has gained prominence with her flamboyant and outspoken attitude. Though not from a political or aristocratic background, her approach towards the ill treatment of women of Pakistan has won her a great deal of support. A kind soul, who has been working day in and day out for the emancipation and uplift of women, and has a promising and compassionate attitude for the masses. At a very young age, she has achieved milestones. She has touched success at every point and stage of her life. Married and a mother of a son, Ms. Kashmala Tariq worked with her heart and sinew for standing out as a shining star and a symbol of pride for the women folk of Pakistan.

Ms. Kashmala Tariq was born in Lahore on January 24, 1972. Her educational background includes graduation from Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore in 1991; followed by an LL.B from Punjab University Law College in 1996 and LL.M from London School of Economics, U.K in 1999.

Leadership qualities are something innate in her. Throughout her academic career she had been a ‘guiding light’ for her peers. Her records prove that the name ‘Kashmala’ always signified confidence and courage. She has been leading from the front, always. Kashmala, confident lass at Kinnaird, finally made it to Punjab University for her LLB, where she won a merit scholarship in 1992. After completing her LLB, she did her LLM from London School of Economics (LSE), UK in 1999. At LSE she remained the President of the LSE Students’ Union between 1998 and 1999. Being an active student member at LSE, her leadership abilities blossomed and became more fine and unique. She learnt new ways of dealing with multi-ethnic and multi-cultural groups of people. This gave her a new insight, which is probably unique to her.

Politics has been her passion, right from the very beginning. She was Secretary General of an Environmental NGO (Sath) from 1992 to 1995; and has served as President of the Peoples Students Federation (PSF) from 1993 to 1995. Her stay at Punjab University made her well-versed with the political maneuverings and trends prevalent in Pakistan. This exposure made her street-wise and helped her to go a long way in her political struggle, later in life. At LSE she was able to lead the LSE Students’ Union – an honor for Ms. Kashmala, indeed. During her stay at LSE, she developed her political affiliations with ‘Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf – Imran Khan’s brain child’. For two long years i.e. 1998 – 2000, she remained ‘Chief Organizer – Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf UK’.

Ms. Kashmala Tariq’s political career did start in her student life, but she joined mainstream politics when she was in UK and became Chief Organizer of PTI. However, her affiliations with Imran Khan could not last long. On her return to Pakistan, she joined PML (Q). As of today, Ms. Kashmala shares her political school of thought with PML (Q). Ms. Kashmala is known as a staunch supporter of General Pervez Musharraf. She was also one of the few legislators, who met President George W Bush on his trip to Pakistan in March, 2007. Ms. Kashmala has also gained the trust of the PML-Q leaders for her unflinching support to the regime of President Pervez Musharraf, on TV talk shows and on the floor of the National Assembly.

Kashmala Tariq was elected to the Parliament in Pakistan on a Women Reserve Seat in the Punjab Province. An ardent advocate of Musharraf’s enlightened moderation theory; she feels a dire need of awareness and education for the masses. Her political success has been scandalized, quite a number of times.

Such events and occurrences have made her the darling of the Urdu-language media. In spite of all odds, Ms. Kashmala has come a long way in her political journey. Such minor hurdles come and go. There are forces that oppose and forces that make you move along; it is how you manage to fair well.

Ms. Kashmala has faired well, exploring a new world for herself and for her fellow women folks. Her realistic and intelligent ideas have made her a popular political figure at a very young age.

She likes travelling has travelled to Europe, Far East and U.A.E.
Her hobbies include Horse Riding and Swimming. She is a brave young lady who has always loved dauntingly difficult tasks and interests. She is vigorous and this very vigor is, arguably, her core competency.


Her areas of legislative interests include:
Education
Women Development
Law Membership of National Assembly Committees
Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Human rights
Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue
Standing Committee on House and Library

Nilofar Bakhtiar
Senator
Former President
PML Women Wing
Ex-Federal Minister For Tourism Pakistan Muslim League-Q

An ardent admirer of Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Nilofar Bakhtiar finds a great deal of sagacity, guidance and meaningfulness in the following words of Quaid e Azam:

“You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State.”

(Quaid e Azam’s Presidential address to the constituent assembly, 11th August 1947)

Another quote of Jinnah inspires her which states that women should stand by their men even in the battlefield.

Nilofar believes that we must give women and minorities their due. She feels that by doing so we shall fulfill Quaid’s promise and resolve. She herself has fought for women rights all through her political career.

The poise and determination which Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar possesses, is something which comes in only when you know how to make the most out of your life. She has what it takes to be a woman of substance and intellect.

Family:

She is married and a mother of two sons and one daughter. Her eldest son has carried forward his mother’s legacy and has recently got married after completing his degree in Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University and returning to Pakistan. Carnegie Mellon’s program in Public Administration happens to be the same which Osama’s mother qualified way back in 1986. Her only daughter is undergoing her degree on Fulbright scholarship at Berkley; her youngest son is in class 6th though. Nilofar’s progeny has made her real proud.

Nilofar has two brothers, both retired brigadiers. Her only sister is a house wife and is her major moral support after the death of her parents.

Nilofar was born in CMH Bannu in the NWFP on 9th September 1957; as her father was posted there at that time. Her Maiden name is Nilofar Ali. Her father retired as a colonel from Pakistan Army. Her family has a background of Social Work and Military Service for over four generations. Carrying forward the family traditions, Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar, has indeed come a long way in social work. Her main thrust of work has been on the uplift of women, health and educational projects. Proud of the fact that she has her roots in the middle class strata of the Pakistani Society, she was married to Bakhtiar ud Din Ahmed who runs a printing business by the name of ‘Imprint’ and has been a major source of moral support for her, throughout.

Academia:

Her academia speaks volumes of her intellectually sound personality, which she does possess – for sure. After completing her high school from “Presentation Convent, Rawalpindi”, she eventually did her “Bachelors of Arts” from ‘Punjab University’ in 1976. Her bachelors earned her a Government Scholarship for a diploma in ‘Hotel Management and Tourism’ from ‘Institute of Hotel & Tourism Management, Salzburg, Austria’. After her diploma from Austria in 1977, Nilofar moved to ‘Cornell University, New York, USA’ for a summer term. Her intellectual appetite has always been driving her ambitions; she ended up joining “Carnegie Mellon University” for her ‘Masters in Public Administration’ on USAID’s scholarship in 1986. Earlier, after her return from Austria she served PTDC, Flashmans, Cecil Hotel and Inter-Continental as part of the work bond which was a requirement of the scholarship for the diploma. Meanwhile, she also became actively involved in women rights movements.

Politics and Nilofar:

Leadership is something innate in her. She was ‘House President’ in Presentation Convent, ‘General Secretary’ at CB College, ‘President’ at Cornell, and remained ‘Course President’ at Austria. Nilofar has never remained without a portfolio.

Her illustrious political career tells us that it takes grit, commitment and perseverance to make a fair picture at the end of the day. Her political port-folio is rich and shining. She has remained “Federal Minister for Tourism”. She joined Pakistan Muslim League in 1990. She was elected as a member of the Municipal Corporation and headed PML election campaigns in 1990, 1993, and 1997. She has remained member of Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting; Standing Committee on Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs and Tourism; Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights and Parliamentary Affairs.

She is the former President of the Women's Wing of the Pakistan Muslim League in Rawalpindi. She was appointed as a member of the Central Working Committee in 1996. She has always worked for the cause of women in Pakistan. She is and has remained an ardent advocate of the emancipation of the women folk. She remained imprisoned during Tehrik-e-Nijat, after anti-government protests. She serves on the board of numerous educational and civic bodies.

She has held the following offices in the Federal Cabinet, Government of Pakistan:

Advisor to the Prime Minister and Minister In-charge, Women Development, Special Education and Social Welfare (2002-2006)
Minister for Tourism (2006-2007)
Bakhtiar is currently elected as a Senator, Government of Pakistan, for a six-year term (2006-2012)

A noble cause turned into a controversy:

A controversy over her parachute jump in France, initiated a long drawn process of politicking. The parachute jump was a part of fund-raising campaign for the 2005 Earthquake. She likes to work for noble causes, for it relinquishes her soul.

In April 2007, Islamic clerics in Pakistan issued a Fatwa urging that she be punished and fired from the government after some newspapers printed photographs of her hugging a male colleague after landing from a parachute jump in France. The clerics stated that this was "an illegitimate and forbidden act, and that without any doubt, she has committed a great sin, and that Muslim women must stay at home and must not venture out uncovered.

Bahktiar described the hug as a congratulatory pat, after her parachute jump. "It was just a pat because he felt so proud of me; I did it for a good cause. I did not have any practice of para jumping. I thought it was brave on my part."

On May 21 2007, Nilofar Bakhtiar announced her resignation as Tourism Minister, over the parachute controversy. However, Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz rejected this resignation.

Ms Bakhtiar complained of a campaign of intimidation against her, and had told a Senate Standing Committee that her life was under threat. Ms Bakhtiar said she was disappointed by her Cabinet colleagues who had failed to stand by her.

Working for womens’ emancipation – working on, on and on:

Nilofar remains committed to her cause and her devotion to duty is un-wavering. After all, people do throw stones at the tree that bears good fruit. She is an icon of strength for the public in general and the women folk in particular. She has taken many initiatives regarding women and feels that unless we empower women, we cannot prosper.

She has the honor of being one of the senior-most female members of the Party and rose up to the office of the founding member as well as the national president of the party’s women wing. She distinguished herself by becoming the only female office bearer of her party who was persecuted for political activism and was sentenced to six months imprisonment for leading a national movement for the restoration of democracy in the country. Legislation on Honor Killing in Pakistan in 2003, is one example among many of her untiring commitments to the cause of gender justice

During her tenure as “Advisor to the Prime Minister and Minister In-charge, Women Development, Special Education and Social Welfare (2002-2006)” she left no stone unturned in making women stronger than ever before. A woman of substance she is, indeed!

Conferences Attended:

Guest Speaker at Lions Clubs Conferences & Conventions in Australia, America, Canada, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Middle East, England, Sweden, Norway, Japan, Thailand, South Africa, Kenya
SAARC Conference on the Development of Women in India
UN sponsored “Beijing + 5” Conference on Women in 1995 in China.
World NGO Conference at UN Headquarters New York, USA 1995.
Headed the Women Sports national contingent to Iran during the Asian Games
Attended the 47th, 48th and 49th sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, New York, 2003-2005
UNIFEM Conference in Bhutan
Hosted the 5th South Asia Regional Ministerial Conference of the SAARC Countries at Islamabad, May 2005
NAM Conference held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 2005
ECOSOC Ministerial Roundtable Conference at the UN Headquarters, New York, 2005
SAARC Tourism Ministers Conference in Bangladesh, 2006
Represented the country at five international Tourism Fairs during 2006-2007 at Berlin, Delhi, New York, Paris and London
World Tourism Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference, Azerbaijan, 2006
Hosted the World Tourism Organization (WTO) conference at Islamabad, 2007
Chaired the WTO Conference on World Tourism Day, titled “Tourism Opens Doors For Women,” Sri Lanka, September 2007

Awards and Honors:

Several time gold medalist in debating competitions
Awarded a USAID scholarship for Masters at Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh
Visited the United States on invitation from the US Government to observe primary elections in 2000
Bolan, Mussawar, U.N., Citizen and several other awards for social work and humanitarian services
Several Lions Leadership and presidential Awards, including the highest honours bestowed by the association
First woman to receive the “Ambassador of Goodwill Award” by Lions Clubs International.
She is also on the board of several educational institutions and welfare centers, including Fatima Jinnah Women University, OPF Girls College, National Fund for Culture & Heritage, Film Censor Board
Woman of the Year Award in 2004 by Star Awards
Invited to celebrate the International Women’s Day, 8th March, as a state guest in Berlin, Germany
Visited China on the invitation of All China Women’s Federation
Visited Paris on the invitation of local community in Paris
Women’s Achievement Award, a recognition by the Print and Electronic Media Association of India, 2007
Currently elected as Vice Chairperson of the International Red Cross Society in Pakistan
Currently serving as Vice President of Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi
Currently serving as Chairperson, NGO Bardaasht (Tolerance)
Recently appointed Special Advisor to the World Tourism Organization (WTO) on Gender and Tourism. Also choosen to be a member of World Steering Committee for Women Development by United Nations Fund for Women Development.
Nilofar Bakhtiar is pioneer of many a previous legislations for women and currently she is working for the rights of the women under newly enacted Nizam-e-Adal in Malakand and Swat areas.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed's Profile

Sheikh Rashid Ahmad (born on 1950-11-06) is a Pakistani politician and writer. He is currently serving as the Federal Minister for Railways in Pakistan. His previous position was Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting.
Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was born in Babra Bazaar, Rawalpindi, studied at Rawalpindi Polytechnic College and later at Gordon College. He completed his Bachelor of Laws at the University of Lahore.
Throughout his education, Sheikh Rashid was very active in student politics.
He was first elected to the Pakistani National Assembly in 1985, and has been re-elected a record six times. During his political career, Sheikh Rashid has served as Federal Minister for Labour and Manpower; Information; Industries; Sports Culture; Tourism and Investment; Information and Broadcasting; and currently serving as Federal Minister for Railways.

Introduction
Sheikh Rashid Ahmad (born on 1950-11-06) is a Pakistani politician and writer. He is currently serving as the Federal Minister for Railways in Pakistan. His previous position was Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was born in Babra Bazaar, Rawalpindi, studied at Rawalpindi Polytechnic College and later at Gordon College. He completed his Bachelor of Laws at the University of Lahore. Throughout his education, Sheikh Rashid was very active in student politics.

He was first elected to the Pakistani National Assembly in 1985, and has been re-elected a record six times. During his political career, Sheikh Rashid has served as Federal Minister for Labour and Manpower; Information; Industries; Sports Culture; Tourism and Investment; Information and Broadcasting; and currently serving as Federal Minister for Railways.

Early Years
He was first elected to the Pakistani National Assembly in 1985, and has been re-elected a record six times. During his political career, Sheikh Rashid has served as Federal Minister for Labour and Manpower; Information; Industries; Sports Culture; Tourism and Investment; Information and Broadcasting; and currently serving as Federal Minister for Railways.

He used to be the right-hand man of ex-PM Nawaz Sharif but left Nawaz League and joined the newly formed Muslim League to get into ministership again. He is hugely popular in Rawalpindi and is known for creating a large number of schools in that city. He is famous for his 'awami style' (public style) of politics. He is one of few politicians who started their political career at grass roots level and rose to prominence. He is the author of Farzand-e-Pakistan, and is currently working on another book.

Current Status
Sheikh Rashid Ahmed is currently the Federal Minister for Railways, as of May 2006. He lives in Lal Haveli in the heart of Rawalpindi. Lal Haveli has become a tourist destination due to its beautiful, ancient architecture. He is still a bachelor.

He has been organizing a big public meeting on the eve of 14th of August (independence day of Pakistan) at his residence Lal Haveli and the firework show is extremely popular among the people of the city and hundreds of thousands people turn to watch this show every year.

Sheikh is allways the target of scandals and propaganda from his opponents who criticise him on his numerous affairs and illicit relationships wit famous television and lollywood actresses, amongst them are reema meera resham , anjuman, all the top ptv models and zara sheikh. he reportedly said that the children of benazir resemble Faisal Saleh hayat and Jehangir Badr, hinting that they may be the result of affairs between the former PM and her alleged lovers. He spent seven years in prison because of this comment.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was injured while three other people, including two bodyguards, were killed.

RAWALPINDI: Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was injured while three other people, including two bodyguards, were killed when gunmen opened fire on his vehicle outside his party’s election office here on Monday.

Rawalpindi’s Regional Police Officer Aslam Tareen termed the attack an act of terrorism and targeted killing.

Sheikh Rashid, who was taken to the District Headquarters Hospital, was in a stable condition when last reports came in.

According to initial medical reports, X-rays showed that he was not hit by a bullet. However, he had a slight swelling on his leg, a doctor said.

Later, he was discharged from the hospital.

The AML chief was attacked by two masked gunmen at his party’s election office near Mohammadi Chowk, in Khayaban-i-Sir Syed, while he was getting into his vehicle.

Sheikh Rashid’s bodyguards chased the fleeing gunmen, but they were gunned down by their accomplices, security sources said. Kalashnikovs were used by the attackers who managed to escape on motorcycles.

The identity of the gunmen was not known, police said.

Tanveer, an eyewitness, said all of a sudden the gunmen appeared in the crowd and opened fire.

He said: “Sheikh Rashid has been on the hit list of terrorists since the Lal Masjid operation (July 2007) and he has been provided security by the Punjab government.”

Sheikh Rashid, who had been a member of the PML-Q and was information and railways minister in the previous government of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf, formed his own political party after losing his National Assembly seat in 2008. He is contesting a by-election to NA-55, Rawalpindi.

All candidates contesting the by-election had been advised in writing to inform the police and district administration one day before a public meeting or any other gathering. But Monday’s function was not a scheduled event and the police were not intimated.

A large number of Sheikh Rashid’s supporters gathered outside the hospital and shouted slogans against certain political leaders and police. Some of the angry protesters burned tyres on the roads to block traffic.

Five police personnel had been deployed at the residence of Sheikh Rashid in Rawalpindi, but no police squad was provided to him during his inter-city movements.

Those who lost their lives in the attack were identified as Anwar-ul-Haq, Javaid and Shahid Shahzad.

Mohammad Hassan and Ilyas Abbasi were injured.

Sheikh Rashid recorded his statement before the Pirwadhai police late in the night.

He said he was coming out of his election office after attending a meeting when some unidentified gunmen opened fire, killing three of his associates.

“Two of the gunmen who were wearing shawls appeared on the scene while their two other accomplices were standing at a short distance. Sheikh Rashid did not identify any person by name as prime accused.

A police source said that Sheikh Rashid had accused a senior police officer of negligence.

The police formed a team to probe the attack.

INVESTIGATION:

The Punjab government has set up a high-level team comprising representatives of the Punjab Police, ISI and IB to probe the incident.

According to the provincial government, it will give financial assistance to families of the dead and to all the injured. Instructions had already been issued for treatment of the wounded persons at government expenses, a handout said.

Reuters adds:

The violence is likely to raise political tension in Rawalpindi.

Sheikh Rashid was hurt but not by a bullet, an aide, Javed Qureshi, told Reuters. He had apparently injured a foot when he fell over during the attack, he said.“ Unidentified gunmen opened fire with Kalashnikovs. It was an assassination attempt,” Mr Qureshi said.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik told parliament two guards and two other people were killed. Two guards were wounded.

Police had earlier said the AML chief had been wounded in the shooting. Television showed pictures of supporters carrying a conscious Sheikh Rashid into hospital.