The Seventh Phase – The Post 2000 Democracy
Eventually, curtains were called on the democratic set-up when the government of Mian Nawaz Sharif was dismissed through the fourth military coup on October 12, 1999. Parliament was only restored in 2002 with major amendments in the 1973 Constitution, brought in shape of a “Legal Framework Order 2002”. Under this LFO, the long-standing popular demand of reserving seats for women was accepted in principle. It had been demanded that women should be given at least 33% representation. However, the LFO agreed to 17%, devoting 60 seats in a 342-Member National Assembly and 17 in a 100-Member Senate. Under this new arrangement, election procedure for these reserved seats was also changed and “List System” was introduced. The emerging parliamentary groups, thus, were to get these seats in proportion to their general representation in the House.
Elections were held on October 10, 2002 and this time, the tally of women returning from the General Seats, improved in a considerable number, crossing the double-digit figure for the first time. Initially, 13 women were elected. However, one of them, Ms. Eman Wasim vacated her seat, enabling Mr. Shaukat Aziz’s eventual election as the country’s Prime Minister.
Women Members Elected on General Seats in the National Assembly of Pakistan 2002-2007
| Sr. No. | Name | Constituency |
| 1 | Ms. Eman Wasim (PML-Q) (resigned in 2004) | NA-59 Attock-III |
| 2 | Ms. Sumaira Malik (NA) | NA-69 Khushab-I |
| 3 | Mst. Ghulam Bibi Bharwana (PML-Q) | NA-87 Jhang-II |
| 4 | Ms. Saima Akhtar Bharwana (Ind) | NA-90 Jhang-V |
| 5 | Ms. Riffat Javaid Kahlon (PML-Q) | NA-117 Narowal-III |
| 6 | Ms. Samina Khalid Ghurki (PPP-P) | NA-130 Lahore-XIII |
| 7 | Ms. Rubina Shaheen Wattoo (Ind) | NA-147 Okara-V |
| 8 | Mrs. Khalida Mohsin Ali (PPP-P) | NA-176 Muzafargarh-I |
| 9 | Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar (PML-Q) | NA-177 Muzafargarh-II |
| 10 | Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho (PPP-P) | NA-213 Nawabshah-I |
| 11 | Mrs. Shamshad Sattar Bachani (PPP-P) | NA-223 Hyderabad-VI |
| 12 | Dr. Fehmida Mirza (PPP-P) | NA-225 Badin-II |
| 13 | Ms. Zubaida Jalal (PML-Q) | Na-272 Kech-cum-Gawadar |
Source: Library of National Assembly of Pakistan Records
Besides, another 60 women were also elected as Members of the National Assembly on Reserved Seats.
Women Members Elected on Reserved Seats in the National Assembly of Pakistan 2002-2007
| Sr. No. | Name | Constituency |
| 1 | Ms. Mehnaz Rafi (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 2 | Dr. Hajira Tariq Aziz (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 3 | Ms. Tanzeela Aamir Cheema (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 4 | Dr. Donya Aziz (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 5 | Ms. Kashmala Tariq (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 6 | Dr. Saira Tariq (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 7 | Mrs. Riffat Amjad (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 8 | Dr. Attiya Inayatullah (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 9 | Ms. Bushra Rehaman (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 10 | Ms. Farzeen Ahmed Sarfaraz (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 11 | Shahzadi Umer Zadi Tiwana (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 12 | Ms. Raheela Munawar (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 13 | Prof. Aasiya Azeem (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 14 | Dr. Firdaus Ashiq Awan (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 15 | Begum Tehmina Dasti (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 16 | Ms. Onaza Ehsan (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 17 | Ms. Bushra Anwar Sipra (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 18 | Dr. Rozina Tufail (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 19 | Ms. Tahira Asif (PML-Q) | Punjab |
| 20 | Ms. Naheed Khan (PPP-P) | Punjab |
| 21 | Ms. Beelum Hasnain (PPP-P) | Punjab |
| 22 | Ms. Shakeela Khanum Rashid (PPP-P) | Punjab |
| 23 | Ms. Fauzia Habib (PPP-P) | Punjab |
| 24 | Ms. Mehreen Anwar Raja (PPP-P) | Punjab |
| 25 | Ms. Yasmeen Rehman (PPP-P) | Punjab |
| 26 | Begum Shahnaz Shaikh (PPP-P-P) | Punjab |
| 27 | Ms. Rukhsana Bangash (PPP-P) | Punjab |
| 28 | Ms. Naseem Chaudhary (PPP-P) | Punjab |
| 29 | Ms. Samia Raheel Qazi (MMA) | Punjab |
| 30 | Ms. Maimoona Hashmi (PML-N) | Punjab |
| 31 | Begum Ishrat Ashraf (PML-N) | Punjab |
| 32 | Begum Tehmina Daultana (PML-N) | Punjab |
| 33 | Begum Rehana Aleem Mashhadi (PML-J) | Punjab |
| 34 | Ms. Meena Laghari (NA) | Punjab |
| 35 | Ms. Ayla Malik (NA) | Punjab |
| 36 | Ms. Fiza Junejo (PML-Q) | Sindh |
| 37 | Ms. Shery Rehman (PPP-P) | Sindh |
| 38 | Ms. Ruqaia Khanum Soomro (PPP-P) | Sindh |
| 39 | Ms. Fauzia Wahab (PPP-P) | Sindh |
| 40 | Ms. Rubina Saddat Qaimkhani (PPP-P) | Sindh |
| 41 | Ms. Nafisa Munawar Raja (PPP-P) | Sindh |
| 42 | Ms. Shagufta Jumani (PPP-P) | Sindh |
| 43 | Dr. Farida Ahmed (MMA) | Sindh |
| 44 | Ms. Aisha Munawar (MMA) | Sindh |
| 45 | Ms. Shamim Akhtar (MQM) | Sindh |
| 46 | Ms. Afsar Begum (MQM) | Sindh |
| 47 | Ms. Shabina Talat (MQM) | Sindh |
| 48 | Ms. Gul-e-Farkhanda (NA) | Sindh |
| 49 | Ms. Khurshid Afghan (PML-F) | Sindh |
| 50 | Ms. Zaib Gohar Ayub (PML-Q) | N.W.F.P. |
| 51 | Sayyada Farhana Khalid Banoori (MMA) | N.W.F.P. |
| 52 | Ms. Razia Aziz (MMA) | N.W.F.P. |
| 53 | Nayyar Sultan (MMA) | N.W.F.P. |
| 54 | Ms. Jamila Ahmed (MMA) | N.W.F.P. |
| 55 | Ms. Ambareen Naseem (MMA) | N.W.F.P. |
| 56 | Ms. Inayat Begum (MMA) | N.W.F.P. |
| 57 | Ms. Shahida Akhtar Ali (MMA) | N.W.F.P. |
| 58 | Dr. Noor Jahan Panezai (PML-Q) | Balochistan |
| 59 | Ms. Imrana Khawar (MMA) | Balochistan |
| 60 | Ms. Bilqees Saif (MMA) | Balochistan |
Source: Library of National Assembly of Pakistan Records
In addition to the above, Ms. Asiya Nasir was also elected on one of the seats reserved for the Minorities.
In the re-constituted Senate as well, 17 women (4 from each province and 1 from the Federal Capital) were elected. Table XVI reflects all the names of women Senators, who served during the six years for their respective terms.
Women Senators Elected on Reserved Seats in the Senate of Pakistan 2003-2009
| Sr. No. | Name | Constituency |
| 1 | Dr. Nighat Agha (retired in 2006) | Punjab |
| 2 | Ms. Gulshan Saeed | Punjab |
| 3 | Ms. Rozina Alam Khan | Punjab |
| 4 | Ms. Saadia Abbasi | Punjab |
| 5 | Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar (elected in 2006) | Punjab |
| 6 | Ms. Abida Saif (retired in 2006) | Sindh |
| 7 | Bibi Yasmeen Shah | Sindh |
| 8 | Engr. Rukhsana Zubairi | Sindh |
| 9 | Ms. Nighat Mirza (retired in 2006) | Sindh |
| 10 | Ms. Tanveer Khalid (elected in 2006) | Sindh |
| 11 | Ratna Bhagwandas (elected in 2006) | Sindh |
| 12 | Ms. Sameen Yousuf Siddiqui (elected in 2006) | Sindh |
| 13 | Ms. Anisa Zaib Tahirkheli | N.W.F.P. |
| 14 | Dr. Kausar Firdaus | N.W.F.P. |
| 15 | Ms. Fauzia Fakhar-uz-Zaman | N.W.F.P. |
| 16 | Ms.Mumtaz Bibi (retired in 2006) | N.W.F.P. |
| 17 | Ms. Afia Zia (elected in 2006) | N.W.F.P. |
| 18 | Ms. Pari Gul Agha | Balochistan |
| 19 | Ms. Kalsoom Parveen | Balochistan |
| 20 | Ms. Roshan Khursheed Barocha (retired in 2006) | Balochistan |
| 21 | Ms. Shereen Noor (retired in 2006) | Balochistan |
| 22 | Ms. Raheela Yahya Baluch (elected in 2006) | Balochistan |
| 23 | Ms. Sabina Rauf (elected in 2006) | Balochistan |
| 24 | Ms. Tahira Latif | Federal Capital |
Source: Library of Senate of Pakistan Records
Hence, with a total of 74 women Members and some 17 Senators at one given time, this was the highest number of female representation, ever achieved in the corridors of power. Consequently, many women were included in the Federal Cabinet, appointed as Parliamentary Secretaries and also elected as Chairpersons of various Standing Committees. Ms. Zubaida Jalal remained a Federal Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali while Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar was appointed as Advisor. She was later inducted as full Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, which also had Ms. Sumaira Malik and Ms. Zubaida Jalal as Federal Ministers and Ms. Hina Rabani Khar, Ms. Ghulam Bibi Bharwana, Ms. Anisa Zaib Tahirkheli and Ms. Shahnaz Sheikh as Ministers of State. Besides, 6 other women Members were made Parliamentary Secretaries while 9 were elected as Chairpersons of the National Assembly’s Standing Committees.
A move to establish a Women’s Parliamentary Caucus was also made during this time period but remained unsuccessful in the deeply polarised political scenario.