Mahesh Kumar Malani of the Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) has become the first Hindu candidate to win a National Assembly seat, 16 years after non-Muslims got the right to vote and contest on general seats in the country.

He had served as the chairperson of the Sindh Assembly's Standing Committee on Food, apart from being members of various standing committees during the last government's tenure.

When Non-Muslims Got The Right To Vote


Non-Muslims got the right to vote and contest on general seats of the parliament and provincial assemblies in 2002 after the then president Gen Pervez Musharraf  (Retd) made amendments in the Constitution.

My mother Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto would have been 65 today & Pakistan would have been on a different trajectory had she not been taken from us. As her son I remain forever committed to building a peaceful, prosperous, progressive Pakistan no matter the challenges, tweets Malani

He secured 37,245 votes while Zakaullah received 18,323 votes, the Express Tribune reported.

Pakistani Hindu Rajasthani Pushkarna Brahamin politician


Malani, the 55-year-old minority community leader, defeated his nearest rival Arab Zakaullah of the Grand Democratic Alliance in the NA-222 constituency.

He secured 37,245 votes while Zakaullah received 18,323 votes, the Express Tribune reported.

Malani, a Pakistani Hindu Rajasthani Pushkarna Brahamin politician, was a member of parliament from 2003-08 on a reserved seat, nominated by the PPP.

Number of Non-Muslim Seats

Non-muslims also have reserved seats in the Senate, national and provincial assemblies.

Ten seats are reserved for minorities in the National Assembly, which are allotted to parties on the basis of the number of seats they have in the parliament.