Suraiya Bibi Makes History, Becomes First Chitrali Women Elected As Deputy Speaker Of KP
After the recent swearing-in ceremony for the newly-elected members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has selected Suriya Bibi for the role of KP Assembly Deputy Speaker. Following the oath-taking of Babar Saleem Swati as the provincial legislature’s speaker, 40-year-old Suriya secured a seat in the KP Assembly by winning Chitral’s PK-1 constituency. Notably, she made history as the first woman elected on a general seat in Chitral, gaining 18,914 votes against Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Shakeel Ahmed, who received 10,533 votes.
With Master’s degrees in sociology and Urdu, Suriya joined the PTI in 2007 after becoming disenchanted with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Her entry into electoral politics began in the 2008 general elections, actively leading the party’s campaign. Since joining the PTI, Suriya has been an engaged party member, founding a women’s organization in 2012 for coordinated efforts within the party’s interests.
In 2020, she played a key role in restructuring the party at various levels and actively participated in the PTI’s electoral campaign during the 2021 local government polls. Sharing her priorities as a Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA), Suriya pledged to enhance the health and education sectors in her constituency. She also emphasized addressing social issues and improving existing infrastructure.
Suriya’s nomination as the KP Assembly Deputy Speaker follows the precedent set by Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Fahmida Mirza, who served as the National Assembly’s speaker from 2008 to 2013. The appointment of a woman to this constitutional post raises anticipation regarding Suriya’s performance and her potential role in advancing women’s empowerment in the province
