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Designer Khadijah Shah announced that she is relinquishing her US citizenship to accept a reserved National Assembly seat for women on the PTI’s ticket, after former premier Imran Khan offered it to her. Pakistani law prohibits dual nationals from serving as members of parliament.

“Making the decision to relinquish my US citizenship, which guarantees freedom, safety, and opportunity, was not easy,” Shah wrote in an Instagram post. “However, Pakistan is my motherland, the place I call home, and the country where I’ve built my life. I cannot give up on it and my people.”

She maintained that she personally experienced “unimaginable injustice over the last year and a half”, but that the adversity instilled a sense of purpose within her. Shah added that she was driven by her desire to make a difference for Pakistan.

“I’m honoured that Chairman PTI and my lifelong hero, Imran Khan, considered me worthy of representing his party and being part of his vision for Pakistan. I accepted his offer to take the reserved seat and hope to live up to his expectations and those of my fellow citizens,” the designer stated.

Until her dual nationality issue is resolved, Shah nominated Mehrunnisa Sajjad to represent her. She detailed that Sajjad is an Oxford University graduate and a barrister who “dedicated her career to advocating for the marginalised and downtrodden in Pakistan”.

She clarified that Sajjad was not a family member or friend and was chosen after careful consideration because she embodied what Shah hoped every Pakistani woman could have the opportunity to become.

“Like me, Mehrunnisa is passionate about fighting for the rights of the marginalised, establishing genuine democracy, and driving progress in Pakistan. I’m proud to have nominated such an exceptional young Pakistani woman to represent PTI and myself in parliament.”

Shah, who helms the fashion brand Élan, was arrested after the May 9 riots. The designer was incarcerated on charges of vandalism and rioting, but released on bail in December 2023. In April 2024, an anti-terrorism court withdrew bailable warrants for Shah, however, issued her warrants in another case of the May 9 riots.