Sadia Danish

Sadia Danish
سعدیہ دانش
Deputy Speaker of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly
In office
17 July 2023 – 24 November 2025
SpeakerNazir Ahmed
Preceded byNazir Ahmed
Succeeded byMalik Kifayatur Rehman
Member of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
22 June 2026
ConstituencyReserved seat for women
In office
25 November 2020 – 24 November 2025
ConstituencyReserved seat for women
In office
10 December 2009 – 9 December 2014
ConstituencyReserved seat for women
Minister for Information, Gilgit-Baltistan
In office
9 November 2013 – 9 December 2014
Chief MinisterSyed Mehdi Shah
Advisor for Tourism, Sports, and Youth Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan
In office
2010 – 9 December 2014
Chief MinisterSyed Mehdi Shah
Personal details
PartyPPP (2009-present)

Sadia Danish (Urdu: سعدیہ دانش) is a Pakistani politician, who has been a member of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly since June 2026, and also served in this position from November 2020 to November 2025 and from December 2009 to December 2014.[1] In 2023, she was unanimously elected as Deputy Speaker of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, becoming the first woman elected to the post. She also served as Minister of Information and Tourism from 2009 to 2014. [2]

Biography

Sadia Danish is a native of Gilgit.[2] She joined the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), later serving as the party's secretary of information and as a provincial president of their women's wing.[3][4] In the 2009 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly election, she was the head of the campaign of the women's wing.[4]

She was elected for the PPP as a reserved women's seat member of the first Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly in the 2009 election, remaining there until 2014.[5][2] During her first term as MLA, she served as Advisor for Torusim, Youth Affairs and Sports from 2010 to 2014, and as Minister for Information from November 2013 to 2014.[6][7][2] She was a member of National Commission on the Status of Women, having been the Gilgit Baltistan member in 2013.[3][4]

She was re-elected to the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly on a reserved seat for women in the 2020 Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly election.[2] In the same election, she contested a general seat from GBA-18 Diamer-IV as a candidate of PPP, but was unsuccessful. She received 185 votes and was defeated by Gulbar Khan, a candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).[8]

On 17 July 2023, speaker Nazir Ahmed announced that Danish was unanimously elected as the Assembly's deputy speaker, as the sole nominee for the post on behalf of the ruling coalition; there was no nomination from any of the other MLAs, including the opposition.[2][9] She is the first woman elected to the post, with The Nation calling it a "landmark development".[2][3] After becoming deputy speaker, she announced her intention to focus on women empowerment in the province.[2] She ceased to be Deputy Speaker when the Assembly was dissolved on 24 November 2025.

She was re-elected to the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly in the 2026 Gilgit Baltistan Assembly election as a candidate of PPP on a reserved seat for women.[10]

References

  1. ↑ Nagri, Jamil (22 June 2026). "PPP's Amjad Hussain elected as GB chief minister after members take oath". Dawn. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Nagri, Jamil (18 July 2023). "Sadia Danish becomes GB's first woman deputy speaker". Dawn. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Sadia Danish becomes GB's first woman deputy speaker". The Nation. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Annual Report 2013 (PDF) (Report). National Commission on the Status of Women. 2013. p. X. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  5. ↑ Khan, Zulfiqar Ali (8 December 2009). "EC notifies technocrats and women legislators of GBLA". Pamir Times. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "Gilgit-Baltistan marks freedom from Dogra rule | The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 1 November 2010. Archived from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  7. ↑ "Sadia Danish appointed Information Minister for Gilgit-Baltistan". PAMIR TIMES. 9 November 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly Election 2020 Results- dunyanews.tv". Dunya News. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  9. ↑ "Sadia Danish elected GB Assembly's first woman deputy speaker". Dunya News. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  10. ↑ Election Commission Gilgit-Baltistan (19 June 2026). 2026 Gilgit-Baltistan Returned Candidates Notification.
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