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Ayesha Gulalai Wazir (Urdu: عائشہ گلالئی وزیر) is a Pakistani politician who was a former Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2013 to May 2018.

Early life and education

Ayesha Gulalai was born in FR Bannu Domel wazir and received her M.Phil degree in Islamic Studies with Major in Comparative Religion from the University of Peshawar.

After graduating, she briefly worked as a journalist at English Daily The News International. She also remained the chairperson of Tribal Union of Journalists and information secretary of FATA Reforms Committee. She is the sister of Maria Toorpakay.

Political career

Wazir began her political career as a human rights activist from Bannu domel. She was a worker of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) as coordinator for the women's wing in Federally Administered Tribal Areas. She also has been a member of the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML). It was reported that PPPP was considering to give her a party ticket in 2008 Pakistani general election to run for the seat of National Assembly, but she could not compete due to the restriction on the issue of age.

In 2012, she joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and was nominated as a member of the PTI central committee. Wazir was indirectly elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan as a candidate of PTI on a reserved seat for women from the FATA in 2013 Pakistani general election. She became the first-ever female Member of the National Assembly from FATA as well one of the youngest members of the parliament.

She quit PTI in August 2017, accusing that the party does not guarantee respect and dignity to women. She has blamed Imran Khan for inappropriate text messages sent to her in October, 2013. She also refused to resign from the seat in the National Assembly.

In February 2018, she launched her own party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Gulalai) (PTI-G), as a faction of PTI. The election commission of Pakistan allotted the racket as an electoral sign to PTI-G. The party supports presidential form of democracy.

For the 2018 Pakistani general election, PTI-G gave tickets to four transgender persons to contest elections.

Wazir ran for the seat of the National Assembly as a candidate of PTI-G from Constituency NA-25 (Nowshera-I), Constituency NA-53 (Islamabad-II), Constituency NA-161 (Lodhran-II) and from Constituency NA-231 (Sujawal) in 2018 Pakistani general election but was unsuccessful and lost from all four seats.

In May 2019, Gulalai asked Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to merge his party (PPP) with PTI-G as she thought it had already been reduced to one province.

In the 2018 General Elections, PTI-G could only secure 4,130 votes in National Assembly and 1,235 in Provincial Assembly. None of the party's candidates were able to win in any constituency.

On 25 May 2023, she joined PML-Q in a press conference.

References

1. ^ "Inspired by Benazir, PTI's Aisha Gulalai seeks empowerment of tribal women - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 6 June 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
2. ^ "What Ayesha Gulalai's past tells us about her?". www.geo.tv. 8 August 2017. Archived from the original on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
3. ^ "Making history: Vernal parliamentarian set to shine on political stage - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 30 May 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
4. "PTI accuses govt of impeding peace march". DAWN.COM. 5 October 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
5. "Switching alliances : Former APML member joins PTI - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 6 October 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
6. "Painting, calligraphy exhibition gets encouraging response". www.thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
7. "PML-N secures most reserved seats for women in NA - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 28 May 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
8. "Women, minority seats allotted". DAWN.COM. 29 May 2013. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
9. "MNA Ayesha Gulalai decides to quit PTI | SAMAA TV". Samaa TV. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
10. "PTI MNA Ayesha Gulalai quits party citing 'ill-treatment' of women". DAWN.COM. 1 August 2017. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
11. Zahra-malik, Mehreen (5 August 2017). "Female Lawmaker in Pakistan Accuses Imran Khan of 'Inappropriate' Texts. Abuse Follows". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
12. "Gulalai says she will not resign from NA seat". DAWN.COM. 7 August 2017. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
13. "Gulalai officially announces her party, says PML-N ministers should be sent to jail - Daily Times". Daily Times. 24 February 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
14. "Ayesha Gulalai to launch her 'own faction of PTI' - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 29 December 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
15. "Pakistan Election 2018: List of Political Parties and their Symbols for General Election 2018". Retrieved 2018-07-24.
16. "PTI-G promises presidential system, judo training for women". Retrieved 2018-07-24.
17. "PTI-Gulalai announces party tickets for transgender persons". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
18. "PTI-G awards tickets to four transgender persons | The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 2018-06-05. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
19. "Ayesha Gulalai loses four NA seats, secures only 3538 votes". The News. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
20. "Ayesha Gulalai gets only one vote at Nowshera polling station… but there's a twist". ARYNEWS. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
21. "Ayesha Gulalai gives free advice to Bilawal to merge his 'small party' in PTI-G | Pakistan Today". archive.pakistantoday.com.pk. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
22. "PTI-G secures 4,130 votes inJuly [sic] 25 polls". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2021-04-03.

• Living people
• Pakistani MNAs 2013–2018
• Pakistani political party founders
• Women members of the National Assembly of Pakistan
• People from South Waziristan
• Pashtun women politicians
• University of Peshawar alumni
• Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MNAs
• 21st-century Pakistani women politicians
• Pashtun politicians