'Untouchable' Hindu woman beats Taliban linked clergy to win senate seat in Pakistan

Krishna Kumari Kohli, a lady from a Dalit caste Hindu minority community has been elected to the Pakistan Senate representing the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). She is the first-ever Hindu low caste woman senator to represent Sindh province in Pakistan. According to the traditional Hindu caste system, members of the Dalit caste are known as the 'untouchables'. Her journey to the Senate has been a hard fought one with many challenges along the way. She was born to a low-income poverty-stricken family in Nagarparkar, Tharparkar, where women have limited access to education and other basic facilities. In Saturday's election (03 March) she defeated a Taliban linked clergy to secure her seat in the Senate. She won a minority seat representing Pakistan People's Party (PPP) which is led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Her successful candidacy is a historical milestone in terms of women and minority rights in Pakistan. She focused her election campaign on promoting girls' education, providing sanitary facilities and water to the area to boost living standards of the individuals. Krishna Kumari's brother Veerji Kholi is known to be a human rights activist who was charged with murder and sentenced to prison in the year 2017. Human rights activists have stated the charges are politically motivated.