Kashmala Tariq

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kashmala Tariq (Urdu: کشمالہ طارق ) (born January 24, 1972 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan) is a daughter of Musharraf's political advisor Mr. Tariq Aziz vis-a-vis member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from the Women Reserve Constituency NA-277 for the province of Punjab. She belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) or PML-Q. Saturday, April 19, 2008 PML-Q planning action against Kashmala for voilating party discipline. http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=14184 [1]

Kashmala Tariq in March 2008
Kashmala Tariq in March 2008

Kashmala Tariq (Urdu: کشمالہ طارق ) (born January 24, 1972 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan) is a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from the Women Reserve Constituency NA-277 for the province of Punjab.She recently won election for chairperson common wealth women parliamentarian.She was elected by about 80 women Members of Parliaments and Legislatures from around the Commonwealth at the CWP Business Meeting in New Delhi on 24 September. The meeting was part of the 53rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference being hosted in New Delhi by the Parliament of India. Ms Tariq won the post in balloting against Parliamentarians from Canada, Dominica and the Australian state of New South Wales. This claim of honour by her is also not without controversy, for the country she represented in the commonwealth i.e. Pakistan was suspended by the commonwealth due to the imposition of emergency and curbing of civil and political rights of people on 3 November by President Musharaf (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7108543.stm ). These barbaric actions of Musharaf which lead to Pakistan's suspension were fully supported by Kashmala Tariq. She travelled to the USA to drum up support on capital hill for Musharaf's widely condemned actions(http://www.dawn.com/2007/12/06/top9.htm ). She was firmly rebuffed, instead the United States asked Musharaf to release all the civilians detained under the emergency provisions ( detainees numbered more than 4000 and included more than 60 serving Judges of the Supreme and High courts of Pakistan, Laywers, NGO and other civil society and political workers ).

She was not very well known in political circles and it is said that she was introduced to the present top brass of the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) by Mian Waheed-ud-Din, a former member of national assembly from Lhr. Relationships are currently acrimonious between both parties and on the 10th of February 2006, Kashmala lodged a police complaint against him for allegedly entering her house by force while being armed, and for threatening her. She was awarded the degree of LLM from the London School of Economics in 1999 or 1993 (there is some confusion over the year this degree was obtained.)

[edit] Early life and education

She belongs to a respectable middle class family of Lahore.

Kashmala Tariq completed her graduation from the Kinnaird College for Women, a prestigious institute in Lahore [www.kinnaird.edu.pk]. She enrolled in the LLB program at the Punjab university where she joined the PSF and started her political life as a student activist. She also worked with the famous lawyer S.M Zafar for eight years.[1] She got her LLB degree from the Punjab University in 1996. She was awarded the degree of LLM from the London School of Economics in 1999. She is considered a Celebrated Alumni member of the LSE.[2] Around this time, she was also the chief organizer of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf in UK. As a chief organizer she was considered very energetic and influential.

[edit] Political career

Kashmala Tariq gets into Parliament in Pakistan on Seats reserved for women.

In March 2005, in an interview with the newsline she said;

"They make you feel they have done you a favour by giving you a reserved seat and bringing you into parliament" - Kashmala Tariq, PML(Q).

[edit] Prominence

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. Kashmala is also known as a fierce supporter of General Pervez Musharraf.