ISLAMABAD - The newly elected 15th National Assembly will witness a rare scene of heavyweights along with their scions making it to the parliament to take the oath as members of the august House.
The general election 2018 with several other interesting results also paved the way for a ‘father and a son’, a ‘brother and a sister’, ‘a husband and a wife’ to become members of the same parliament. Among other family members, six fathers and sons have made it to the parliament.
Former president Asif Ali Zardari and his son and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PML-Q stalwart Pervaiz Elahi and his son Hussain Elahi, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz and PTI central leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his son Zain Qureshi are set to take the oath in the National Assembly likely to be summoned in the second week of August.
The practice of children of politicians to follow in the footsteps of the parents can be seen throughout the world including in the developed countries. This political dynasty culture has not only prevailed among the top leadership politicians but the second- tier leadership has also started installing their kids in the politics.
The July 2018 result suggests that many of the politicians with their family members will enter the parliament. There are also some politicians who have secured seats of the National Assembly and their kids or close relatives have won provincial assembly seats.
Like other political bigwigs, former KP chief minister Pervaiz Khattak and his son and senior politician Pervaiz Malik and his son Ali Pervaiz Malik have also grabbed seats of the parliament.
The ECP’s election results also suggest the family members including brothers and sisters and cousins have grabbed seats in the parliament.
In upcoming the parliament, two brothers, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar and Hashim Jawan Bakhat have made to the National Assembly and Punjab Assembly respectively.
Other two brothers from Southern Punjab, Nawabzada Iftikhar and Nawabzada Mansur have also secured seats in the parliament.
Makhdoon Muhammad Raza Rabbani Khar, who has won the NA-183 seat, might also take the oath with his sister Hina Rabbani Khar. Hina Rabbani Khar is on the priority list of PPPP’s women reserved seats. A family including a husband, a wife and a son will also take the oath in the upcoming parliament.
PML-N’s central leader Pervaiz Malik from Lahore and his wife Shaista Pervaiz Malik (on a reserved seat) will once again sit in the National Assembly together. Their son Ali Pervaiz Malik has made it to the Punjab Assembly.
Two close relatives, Fakhar Iman and his cousin Khawar Ali Shah have made to the National Assembly and the provincial assembly respectively.
Likewise, many family members also contested against each other and one of them made his way to parliament. Most of the candidates from famous castes, including Gilani, Jatoi, Khar, Gormani, Leghari, Daraishak, Kanjo and others contested against each other in the elections.
Talking to The Nation, political analyst Mudasir Rizvi said: “There is a need to introduce a law to restrict politicians to grab coveted seats including premiership twice.” Quoting the example of political families, he said that the Bush family, Kennedy family, Gandhi family and Sheikh Mujeebur Rahman family and many others in the world, he said the ‘political monopoly culture’ is prevailing throughout the world.