Mahesh Kumar Malani

Mahesh Kumar Malani (مہیش کمار ملانی) is a Pakistani politician who had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from August 2018 till August 2023. He is the first non-Muslim to win a general seat (non reserved seat, seats have been reserved for minorities under the 1973 constitution) in the National Assembly of Pakistan, 16 years after non-Muslims got the right to vote and contest on general seats of the parliament and provincial assemblies in 2002 (which they had been barred from since 1985).

Political career
He started his political career in 1996-97 and remained President PPP District Tharparkar and president minority wing PPP Province Sindh. He contested election against Shaukat Aziz in 2004 on NA-229 Tharparkar and then he again contested general election on NA-229 Tharparkar in 2008 and elected as MNA from PPP 	Reserved seat for minorities from 2008-2013 and he also remained Chairman standing committee of NA on Minorities affairs. He contested election on PS-61 Tharparkar in 2013 secured 42,137 votes by defeating Arbab Naimatullah of Arbab Group (29,346) votes and Rana Hameersingh of PML-F (11,348) votes. Malani also achieved the feat of becoming the first non-Muslim Member of the Provincial Assembly after winning the Tharparkar general seat of the Sindh Assembly in 2013 after non-Muslims were allowed to contest on such seats in 2002 in the provincial and national assemblies (besides seats reserved for minorities after 1973) which they had been barred from since 1985. He served as chairman on standing committee PAS on food.

In 2018, Malani secured 109,056 votes and defeated Arbab Zakaullah of GDA (89,290) votes. This made him the first non-Muslim elected as MNA on a general seat.

Recently, Malani was appointed as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister with the Portfolio of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination.