Faryal Talpur (Sindhi: فريال ٽالپر; Urdu: فریال تالپور; née Zardari; born 26 April 1958) is a Pakistani politician who had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2008 to May 2018 and a member of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh from August 2018 till August 2023, as well as the President of the Women Wing of the Pakistan People's Party.

Faryal Talpur
فريال ٽالپر
President Pakistan Peoples Party Women’s Wing
Assumed office
1 February 2009
Member of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh
In office
13 August 2018 – 11 August 2023
ConstituencyPS-10 Larkana-I
Member of the National Institute of Pakistan
In office
1 June 2013 – 31 May 2018
ConstituencyNA-207 (Larkana-IV)
In office
17 March 2008 – 16 March 2013
ConstituencyNA-207 (Larkana-IV)
Personal details
Born (1958-04-26) 26 April 1958 (age 66)
Nawabshah, Sindh, Pakistan
Political partyPakistan Peoples Party
SpouseMir Munawar Ali Talpur
Parent(s)Hakim Ali Zardari
Bilquis Sultana
RelativesSee Zardari family

Early life and family edit

Talpur was born on 26 April 1958 in Nawabshah, Pakistan[1][2] to Hakim Ali Zardari and Bilquis Sultana.[3] She belongs to Baloch family from Nawabshah, Sindh.[3] She is the sister of Asif Zardari, the former President of Pakistan, and Azra Fazal Pechuho, a politician, and the sister-in-law of former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto.[3] Besides Zardari and Pechuho, she has another sister Fouzia Abbasi, who is not active in politics.

She is married to Mir Munawar Ali Talpur. She has 3 daughters; Aysha, Fatima and Tania Talpur.

Political career edit

Talpur began her political career in 1990s.[3] She ran for the seat of National Assembly of Pakistan on Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ticket from Nawabshah constituency (NA-160) in 1997 Pakistani general election for the first time, but lost the election[3] to the Pakistan Muslim League (N).[4] In 2001, she became the Nazim of district Nawabshah in local government elections. In 2005 local government elections, she was re-elected as the mayor of Nawabshah.[3][4]

After the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in 2007, she became legal guardian of children of Bhutto; Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari[4] and custodian of property of Bhutto in Larkana.[4][5] In 2007, Talpur was considered to become a candidate of PPP for the post of President of Pakistan.[6]

Due to mayorship of Nawabshah, she was not given a ticket by PPP to run in 2008 Pakistani general election.[4] However, later in by-elections, she was allotted a ticket by PPP to run for the seat of National Assembly home constituency of Bhutto in constituency NA-207 (Larkana-cum-Shikarpur-cum-Kambar Shahdadkot)[4] where election was postponed due to death of Bhutto. She won in the by-elections and became member of the National Assembly for the first time.[3][7] She was the central president of the women wing of PPP[3] but reportedly she looked after almost all affairs of the PPP.[4] Talpur is described as a tough[3] and stubborn woman.[4]

According to a WikiLeaks diplomatic cables leak in 2009, fearing attempts on his life, then President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari told then US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W. Patterson that in the event he was assassinated, he had instructed his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to appoint Talpur as President of Pakistan.[3][8][9] The diplomatic cable also revealed the remarks by then Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani who said that Talpur would make a better president than Asif Ali Zardari.[3] She was re-elected as the member of the National Assembly of the second time in 2013 Pakistani general election from NA-207 Larkana constituency.[10]

She was re-elected to Provincial Assembly of Sindh as a candidate of PPP from PS-10 (Larkana-I) in 2018 Sindh provincial election.[11]

She is the member of the following committees:

  • Public Accounts Committee
  • Standing Committee on Energy
  • Standing Committee on Home (Chairperson Committee)
  • Standing Committee on Works & Services

References edit

  1. ^ "Detail Information". 21 April 2014. Archived from the original on 21 April 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ "If elections are held on time…". www.thenews.com.pk. Archived from the original on 5 December 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Faryal Talpur". DAWN.COM. 23 April 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Family business". DAWN.COM. 1 May 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Talpurs appointed custodians of Benazir's property". Daily Times. 1 September 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
  6. ^ "Faryal Talpur 'likely PPP candidate'". DAWN.COM. 25 September 2007. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  7. ^ "PM felicitates Faryal Talpur on her unopposed election as MNA". Associated Press of Pakistan. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
  8. ^ "WikiLeaks: Zardari and the 'backup plan' – The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 1 December 2010. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  9. ^ Walsh, Declan (30 November 2010). "Pakistan's president Asif Ali Zardari 'prepared for assassination'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 September 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  10. ^ "Faryal Talpur wins vital NA seat". DAWN.COM. 12 May 2013. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  11. ^ "Pakistan election 2018 results: National and provincial assemblies". Samaa TV. Archived from the original on 2018-07-29. Retrieved 3 September 2018.