Logo

Her family is known for active participation in the movement for independence of Pakistan. Dr Mirza’s grandfather Qazi Abdul Qayyum was the first Muslim president of Hyderabad Municipality.

Born on December 20, 1956, she passed her matriculation examination from St Mary Convent School, Hyderabad, in 1972 and did FSc from Nazareth College, Hyderabad, in 1974 before getting MBBS degree from the Liaquat Medical College, Jamshoro. She practiced medicine from 1982 to 1989 and has been holding medical camps in her home district since 1989 till date regularly.

“The post requires a woman’s tolerance and patience,” she told media after filing her nomination papers for office of the National Assembly speaker.

Dr Mirza, who was certain to win comfortably because of her party’s majority in the 342-member house, pledged to be completely non-partisan as custodian of the house. She was elected to the National Assembly on a PPP ticket from the coastal district of Badin in 1997, 2002 and 2008. Her spouse Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, who was elected member of the Sindh Assembly in the February 18, 2008 election, is a close aide of PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari.

Dr Mirza is a businesswoman and is the chief executive officer of her Mirza Sugar Mills in Badin. She runs several welfare projects in her constituency, one of the poorest districts of Pakistan. “My election as the National Assembly speaker sends a very good message both home and abroad,” she said, recalling that her party has always stood for visibility of women as top decision-makers.

In election for office of the National Assembly speaker, Dr Fahmida Mirza received 249 out of 324 votes, of which 319 were valid and five votes were declared invalid while her opponent Asrar Tareen received 70 votes.

After election as the National Assembly speaker, Dr Mirza has to resign from her party office because as the constitutional and ceremonial head of the house a speaker has to remain impartial.

Her uncle Qazi Muhammad Akbar was a member of the provincial assembly and served as a minister for home, finance, public works and information at various times. Her father Qazi Abid started his political career as chairman of the Hyderabad Division Council, later served as federal minister for education, water & power, food & agriculture and information.

Her brother Qazi Asad has served as secretary-general of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), the top body of Pakistani newspaper owners, nine times and also held the office of the secretary-general of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors. He had also been a PPP member of the National Assembly and in that capacity served as chairman of the Standing Committee on Information. Her cousin Qazi Aslam has been secretary-general of the APNS four times.

“I was just thinking that [assassinated former Pakistan prime minister] Benazir Bhutto must be so happy. I wanted to thank God and her,” these were the sentiments that overwhelmed the PPP parliamentarian as she walked up to the podium to take oath as the speaker of Pakistan’s 13th National Assembly on March 19.

Later in an interview, she said: “Had (Bhutto) been alive, she would have been delighted,” tears welling up in her eyes, adding that the former prime minister always wanted women in high places.

“It’s like a historic moment and the speakership is not completely sinking in at the moment,” is how Dr Fehmida summed up her feelings on having assumed custodianship of the 342-member House, the largest ever in Pakistan’s parliamentary history.

When her attention was drawn to the constant comparisons being drawn between her and Bhutto or the US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, she smiled and said: “It is a great feeling and I am honoured. Obviously when I am compared and I am told that I resemble, it is an honour for me.”

Noting that perhaps this is something people are looking for in Bhutto’s absence, Dr Mirza observed: “She has been my inspiration, my leader and my friend.”

Charming and graceful, she was candid enough to admit that her semblance to Bhutto worked as an added advantage in her constituency — Badin. “Even in my constituency when I would cover my head and wear glasses people used to say that I resemble her. So this was the advantage I had in my constituency as well.”

“It is a great feeling,” was her response when asked how it felt being the first woman speaker of a male-dominated House where the words “Madam Speaker” echoed for the first time in Pakistan’s history on March 19, 2008.

Dr Mirza hastened to add that coming through the general elections she never thought in terms of gender. On a lighter note she went on to add: “Like somebody said there is a man in every woman.”

Having made history as the first woman parliamentarian to be elected speaker of the National Assembly in Pakistan, in the region and in the Islamic world, she is mindful of the huge responsibility the job entails.

That is precisely the reason Dr Mirza says she was initially reluctant when told that she would be the party candidate for the office of Speaker National Assembly.

“My first reaction was it is a big responsibility. For me if I take any job then I have to deliver and the last seven years have been hell for me,” she noted. However, finally she decided to take the plunge into the unchartered territory.

Dr Mirza says she learnt of her nomination for speakership a week before it was made. According to her this milestone move was the result of a conscious decision by the PPP leadership to nominate a woman parliamentarian as speaker of the House. Primarily a decision to honour the legacy of Bhutto in the wake of her assassination.

A few other names were also considered for the prized slot but in the end consensus emerged on Dr Mirza’s name because of her impressive electoral record. She swept three consecutive national elections (in 1997, 2002 and 2008), each time winning a general National Assembly seat in open electoral contest from Badin.

Dr Mirza sounded quite optimistic that proceedings of the House would be dignified with a woman parliamentarian in the Speaker’s chair at the National Assembly. That members would “behave” and not indulge in “unparliamentary” language. The Speaker was confident that “more tolerance and patience” would ensure order in the House.

Her main priority was clearly stated as she said: “I will be a fair-minded custodian of the House without political partisanship.” Specific steps in this direction would include giving representation to all the political parties and giving a voice to women parliamentarians.

Her recommendation to all political parties would be to give women representation and let them speak on diverse issues. In this context Dr Fehmida Mirza particularly mentioned the important ‘Question Hour’ and proposed that of the three supplementary questions one must be allocated to women members whose representation in the present National Assembly stands at 22.75 per, the highest ever.

Notably this is even higher than the 2007 global average of 17 per cent for female representation at the parliamentary level. Women hold 76 of 334 National Assembly seats decided in Pakistan’s February 2008 general elections. Of these, 16 were elected directly and 60 came on reserved seats.