Yasmin Rashid


Yasmin Rashid is a Pakistani politician and social activist who is the current Provincial Minister of Punjab for Primary & Secondary Healthcare and Specialised Healthcare & Medical Education, in office since 27 August 2018. She has been a member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, since 15 August 2018.

Early life and education

She was born on 21 September 1950 in Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan.
She completed her early education in Neela village in Chakwal district before moving to Lahore where she was educated at the Convent of Jesus and Mary. She married in 1972.
In 1978, she did her MBBS from the Fatima Jinnah Medical University in Lahore. In 1984, she moved to the United Kingdom and enrolled in the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists from where received a MRCOG degree in 1989 and a FRCOG degree in 1999.
She then received a degree in FCPS from Karachi's College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan.

Professional career

She served as the President the Pakistan Medical Association from 1998 to 2000 She served as president of Pakistan Medical Association Lahore chapter from 2008 to 2010 and has been the chairperson of the Task Force Women Development, and chairperson of the Women Health Committee in Punjab.
She is a gynaecologist by profession and had served as the head of the obstetrics and gynaecology department at King Edward Medical University. She also worked in Rawalpindi Medical University, Fatima Jinnah Medical University and headed the Genealogy department of Central Park Medical College.

Political career

Rashid retired from government service in 2010 and joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on the advice of her father-in-law.
She ran for the seat of the National Assembly of Pakistan as a candidate of PTI from NA-120 but was unsuccessful and secured 52,354 votes against then President of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Sharif who won with 91,683 votes.
In July 2017, after Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by Supreme Court of Pakistan as Member of the National Assembly following the Panama Papers case verdict, NA-120 seat fell vacant and by-polls were called in the constituency. PTI nominated Rashid to run for the seat of the National Assembly as its candidate in the by-polls held in September 2017. However she lost the polls to Kulsoom Nawaz Sharif.
She was elected to the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as a candidate of PTI on a reserved seat for women in 2018 Pakistani general election.
On 27 August 2018, she was inducted into the provincial Punjab cabinet of Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and was appointed as Provincial Minister of Punjab for primary and secondary healthcare, with the additional ministerial portfolio of specialised healthcare and medical education.

Family

She is married to Rashid Nabi Malik. Her husband belongs to a prominent political family. He is the son of the former Punjab Minister of Education Malik Ghulam Nabi. Her brother-in-law, Shahid Nabi Malik, remained affiliated with the Pakistan Peoples Party and was their candidate in the general elections in 1990 and 1993.