Nasreen Jalil set to become Sindh governor

KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday approved the nomination of Nasreen Jalil, a senior leader of MQMP, for the post of Sindh governor and forwarded a summary to President Arif Alvi for her appointment.

Earlier, MQMP had forwarded five names, including Nasreen Jalil, Amir Khan, Wasim Akhtar, Kishwar Zehra and Amir Chishti to PM Shehbaz Sharif as part of the power-sharing agreement.

As per the power-sharing agreement between the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz and MQMP, the former coalition partner of the previous government was promised to be given two federal ministries as well as the governorship of Sindh.

The Sindh governor’s seat fell vacant after Sindh Governor Imran Ismail resigned from the post immediately after Shehbaz Sharif took oath as prime minister on April 11. After assuming the office of governor Sindh, Nasreen Jalil would be the second woman to hold the top office after Rana Liaquat Ali Khan who held the governorship from 1973 to 1975.

Being elected twice as Senator and holding the slot of deputy mayor of Karachi, Nasreen Jalil possesses rich administrative and legislative experience. Hailing from a respectable family of Karachi, Nasreen Jalil was born in Lahore in 1944. Her father Zafarul Ahsan was an Indian Civil Service (ICS) officer who had opted to work in Punjab even before the creation of Pakistan.

He was the deputy high commissioner of Lahore at the time of Partition and helped millions of immigrants in settlement. He was also instrumental in designing Gulberg and Samanabad. Born in Lahore, Nasreen Jalil spent two years of schooling in London at the age of 12. She spent a year of studies in Paris and then completed a degree in English Literature (Hons.) from Karachi University. Besides, she also held a commercial pilot license.

Jalil joined politics as a political worker of Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM) in 1988. She started working from the grass-root level of the party and was gradually assigned different tasks. She also brought out an English newsletter on MQM twice a month.

During the trying times, she remained in jail for more than six months and also remained under house arrest in Karachi. She married politician M.A. Jalil and the couple had four children, including two daughters and as many sons. In addition, her sister Yasmeen Lari is also a renowned architect.