Kashmala Tariq
Encyclopedia
Kashmala Tariq (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 belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam)
or PML-Q. She is also actively involved in women's rights.
respectively. She is among the critics of the Hudood Ordinance and questions its legitimacy in Islamic theology as claimed by the proponents. She identifies laws on gender discrimination, sexual harassment scandal and domestic violence
among her priority issues and criticizes the feudal mindset along with a male-dominated culture as hindering progress and laws in these areas. In March 2005, when Tariq's sponsored bill on Karo-kari
(honour killing) was rejected by voice vote in the National Assembly, she criticized the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
(MMA) calling its leaders ‘self-styled’ experts on Islam saying they were exploiting Islam and the constitution and that they used Quranic verses to suit their points of view. Tariq had suggested 3 amendments related to the issue of Wali
(legal male guardian), compoundability and the remission of sentence but the opposition, i.e. MMA and Law Minister Wasi Zafar opposed the bill calling it "un-islamic". In August 2006 as a member of the NA Select Committee on Women’s Protection Bill, Tariq proposed that a husband, who had sex with his wife without her consent should be tried under rape charges. Due to outspoken manner against corruption and nepotism, her party sought to have her expelled from the party. She maintains that the driving forces behind her opponents are an anti-woman mindset and corruption in politics.
On September 24, 2007, she was elected to chair the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians from 2007 to 2010.
In July 2011, Tariq was a candidate for the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
. She lost the first round of the election to Ms Fiamé Mata’afa, the Samoa
n Minister of Justice and Sir Alan Haselhurst
, MP from the United Kingdom
. Sir Alan was eventually elected as the chairperson in the runoff.
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
) is a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
National Assembly of Pakistan
The National Assembly of Pakistan is the lower house of the bicameral Majlis-e-Shura, which also compromises the President of Pakistan and Senate . The National Assembly and the Senate both convene at Parliament House in Islamabad...
from the Women Reserve Constituency NA-277 for the province of Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
. She belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam)
Pakistan Muslim League (Q)
The Pakistan Muslim League or officially Pakistan Muslim League is a centrist, modern political party in Pakistan. The present form of PML-Q was formed prior to 2002 general elections....
or PML-Q. She is also actively involved in women's rights.
Career
She was a member of Pakistan peoples party and elected into parliament in 2001. She is also involved in women's rights and much of her work in politics have centered around this issue. She introduced two bills regarding women in parliament, on honour killings and amendments to the Hudood OrdinanceHudood Ordinance
The Hudood Ordinance was a law in Pakistan that was enacted in 1979 as part of then-military ruler Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq's Islamization and replaced or revised in 2006 by the Women's Protection Bill....
respectively. She is among the critics of the Hudood Ordinance and questions its legitimacy in Islamic theology as claimed by the proponents. She identifies laws on gender discrimination, sexual harassment scandal and domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
among her priority issues and criticizes the feudal mindset along with a male-dominated culture as hindering progress and laws in these areas. In March 2005, when Tariq's sponsored bill on Karo-kari
Karo-kari
In Pakistan honor killings are known locally as karo-kari . Karo-kari is part of cultural tradition in Sindh and is a compound word literally meaning "black male" and "black female , in metaphoric terms for adulterer and adulteress...
(honour killing) was rejected by voice vote in the National Assembly, she criticized the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal is a coalition of Islamist parties that was formed in 2002 to electorally challenge the Pakistan Parliament's incumbent parties...
(MMA) calling its leaders ‘self-styled’ experts on Islam saying they were exploiting Islam and the constitution and that they used Quranic verses to suit their points of view. Tariq had suggested 3 amendments related to the issue of Wali
Wali
Walī , is an Arabic word meaning "custodian", "protector", "sponsor", or authority as denoted by its definition "crown". "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" over somebody else. For example, in Fiqh the father is wali of his children. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh...
(legal male guardian), compoundability and the remission of sentence but the opposition, i.e. MMA and Law Minister Wasi Zafar opposed the bill calling it "un-islamic". In August 2006 as a member of the NA Select Committee on Women’s Protection Bill, Tariq proposed that a husband, who had sex with his wife without her consent should be tried under rape charges. Due to outspoken manner against corruption and nepotism, her party sought to have her expelled from the party. She maintains that the driving forces behind her opponents are an anti-woman mindset and corruption in politics.
On September 24, 2007, she was elected to chair the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians from 2007 to 2010.
In July 2011, Tariq was a candidate for the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, previously known as the Empire Parliamentary Association, is an organisation, of British origin, which works to support good governance, democracy and human rights...
. She lost the first round of the election to Ms Fiamé Mata’afa, the Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
n Minister of Justice and Sir Alan Haselhurst
Alan Haselhurst
Sir Alan Gordon Barraclough Haselhurst is a British Conservative politician who is the Member of Parliament for Saffron Walden and was Chairman of Ways and Means from 14 May 1997 to 8 June 2010.-Early life, education and career:...
, MP from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Sir Alan was eventually elected as the chairperson in the runoff.
See also
- Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam)Pakistan Muslim League (Q)The Pakistan Muslim League or officially Pakistan Muslim League is a centrist, modern political party in Pakistan. The present form of PML-Q was formed prior to 2002 general elections....
- Peoples Students FederationPeoples Students FederationPeoples Students Federation is a student federation and the student wing of the Pakistan Peoples Party founded by Shaheed Qamar Abbas in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa....