Shah Rukh Khan's Cousin Noor Jehan To Contest Pakistan Elections

Islamabad, Pakistan: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's cousin Noor Jehan is set to contest the upcoming general elections in Pakistan on July 25 from a constituency in Peshawar.

Ms Jehan, who has already filed her nominations to fight in the polls, will be contesting from the PK-77 constituency of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly.

"I want to work for women's empowerment. I'd like to focus on the problems in my constituency," Ms Jehan was quoted by The Express Tribune as saying.

Her brother, Mansoor, who is leading her election campaign, told the Pakistani daily that her sister had previously served as a councillor.

Mr Mansoor added that their family had been a part of the Khudai Khidmatgar (Servants of Gods) movement during the pre-Independence days, which was led by freedom activist Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, who was also known as Bacha Khan, as per the report.

"We have a political legacy attached to the family," he further said.

It is pertinent to know that the Khudai Khidmatgar movement was launched in 1929 and had advocated the use of civilian resistance against British rule and denounce violence. Thousands of people had participated in the massive agitation.

Pakistan's Awami National Party (ANP) had also approached Ms Jehan with a ticket and wanted her to contest from a seat reserved for women.

However, she failed to make it, after which Mr Mansoor said that Ms Jehan would contest the elections as an independent candidate.