Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activist Khadijah Shah has announced she will relinquish her United States citizenship after accepting the party's nomination for reserved seats in National Assembly.
"Making the decision to relinquish my US citizenship, which guarantees freedom, safety, and opportunity, was not easy. However, Pakistan is my motherland, the place I call home, and the country where I've built my life. I cannot give up on it and my people," said Shah in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
The PTI supporter, a fashion designer by profession, has been involved in legal cases over her alleged involvement in the May 9 riots. The riots were triggered after party founder Imran Khan's arrest in a graft case, leading to vandalism of military installations including the General Headquarters (GHQ) and Lahore Corps Commander's House.
Shah surrendered to the Punjab police in Lahore on May 23 last year and spent months behind bars before securing bail by an anti-terrorism court in Quetta in January 2024.
In her social media post, the PTI activist expressed honour at being nominated by Khan for reserved seats, accepting it with "hope to live up to his expectations and those of my fellow citizens".
The announcement follows a Supreme Court ruling on July 12, which declared the PTI eligible for the allocation of reserved seats for women and minorities. This decision paves the way for the party’s return to parliament, after being excluded from the February 8 polls due to the electoral body's December 2023 ruling.
The judgement has increased pressure on the coalition alliance as it will alter the composition of the National Assembly. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has already notified 93 lawmakers from three provincial legislatures as PTI members, including 29 from Punjab, 58 from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and six from Sindh.
Lamenting her personal experience of "unimaginable injustice", Shah said the adversity she faced has given her a sense of purpose.
"I'm driven forward by the desire to make a difference for Pakistan," her Instagram post read.
Until her dual nationality issue is resolved, Mehrunnisa Sajjad, a barrister and Oxford University graduate, will represent Shah. Shah chose Sajjad after careful consideration, noting she embodies what she hopes every Pakistani woman can become.
"Mehrunnisa — who has also held the prestigious Vice President position of the Oxford Union and advocates for the marginalised and downtrodden in Pakistan — is passionate about fighting for the rights of the marginalised, establishing genuine democracy, and driving progress in Pakistan. I’m proud to have nominated such an exceptional young Pakistani woman to represent PTI and myself in parliament," Shah stated.
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