Mahesh Kumar Malani | |
|---|---|
| Special Assistant to the PM on National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination | |
| In office 6 October 2022 – 10 August 2023 | |
| President | Arif Alvi |
| Prime Minister | Shehbaz Sharif |
| Member of theNational Assembly of Pakistan | |
| Assumed office 29 February 2024 | |
| Constituency | NA-215 Tharparkar-II |
| In office 13 August 2018 – 10 August 2023 | |
| Constituency | NA-222 (Tharparkar-II) |
| Majority | 109,056 (51.14%) |
| In office 17 March 2008 – 16 March 2013 | |
| Constituency | Reserved seat for Minorities |
| Member of theProvincial Assembly of Sindh | |
| In office 2013–2018 | |
| Constituency | PS-61 THARPARKAR-II |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1962-10-24)24 October 1962 (age 63)[1] |
| Party |  PPP (2008-present) |
| Alma mater | Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences |
| Occupation | Politician |
Mahesh Kumar Malani (Urdu:مہیش کمار ملانی) is a Pakistani politician who has been a member of theNational Assembly of Pakistan since February 2024 and previously served in this position from August 2018 till August 2023. He is the first non-Muslim to win a general seat (non reserved seat, seats have been reserved for minorities under the1973 constitution) in theNational Assembly of Pakistan, 16 years after non-Muslims got the right to vote and contest on general seats of the parliament and provincial assemblies in2002 (which they had been barred fromsince 1985).[a][2]
He started his political career in 1996-97 and remained PresidentPPPDistrict Tharparkar and president minority wing PPP ProvinceSindh. He contested election againstShaukat Aziz in 2004 on NA-229 Tharparkar and then he again contested general election on NA-229 Tharparkar in 2008 and elected as MNA from PPPReserved seat for minorities from 2008-2013 and he also remained Chairman standing committee ofNA on Minorities affairs. He contested election on PS-61 Tharparkar in 2013 secured 42,137 votes by defeating Arbab Naimatullah of Arbab Group (29,346) votes andRana Hameersingh ofPML-F (11,348) votes. Malani also achieved the feat of becoming the first non-MuslimMember of the Provincial Assembly after winning the Tharparkar general seat of theSindh Assembly in 2013 after non-Muslims were allowed to contest on such seats in2002 in the provincial and national assemblies (besides seats reserved for minoritiesafter 1973) which they had been barred fromsince 1985.[a] He served as chairman on standing committee PAS on food.[citation needed]
He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of PPP from NA-222 in the 2018 Pakistani general election. He received 106,630 votes and defeatedArbab Zakaullah, a candidate of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA).[3] This made him the first non-Muslim elected as MNA on a general seat.[a][4]
On 13 September 2022, Malani was appointed as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister with the Portfolio of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination.[5]
He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of PPP fromNA-215 Tharparkar-II in the2024 Pakistani general election. He received 135,287 votes and defeatedArbab Ghulam Rahim, a candidate of the GDA.[6]
