Zartaj Gul

Zartaj Gul Wazir is a Pakistani politician who served as the Minister of State for Climate Change. She held this position within the Imran Khan ministry from 5 October 2018 until 10 April 2022. Her political career includes serving as a member of the National Assembly and acting as the Parliamentary Leader of the Sunni Ittehad Council.

Early life and education

Born on 17 October 1984 in North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gul is a member of the Wazir tribe. Her father, Ahmad Wazir, works as the chief engineer of WAPDA. She received her primary schooling in her native towns of Bannu and Miramshah. After her family moved to Lahore, she pursued higher education at Queen Mary College for her undergraduate studies. She later attended the National College of Arts to study Textile Designing for her postgraduate degree.

In 2005, she joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as a volunteer with the Insaf Student Forum. This involvement marked the beginning of her long-term commitment to the party.

Career

Gul first contested the National Assembly seat for constituency NA-172 (Dera Ghazi Khan-II) during the 2013 Pakistani general election. She was unsuccessful in this attempt, receiving 38,643 votes against the 49,142 votes obtained by Hafiz Abdul Kareem. Her political breakthrough occurred in the 2018 Pakistani general election when she ran for NA-191 (Dera Ghazi Khan-III). She won that seat by securing 79,817 votes and defeating Awais Leghari.

Following her election, she was appointed Minister of State for Climate Change on 5 October 2018. During her tenure, she advocated for gender equality and defended the views of Imran Khan regarding societal issues. She resigned from her National Assembly seat on 10 April 2022, although Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf did not accept the resignation until 17 January 2023.

In the 2024 Pakistani General Elections, she ran as an independent candidate supported by PTI for the NA-185 Dera Ghazi Khan-II constituency. She won the election with 94,927 votes and defeated her rival, Mehmood Qadir Khan, who received 39,235 votes. On 23 June 2024, she was appointed as the Parliamentary Leader of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

Her recent years have been marked by legal challenges and arrests. On 6 October 2024, police arrested her following a raid on her residence. Her lawyer, Mir Fida Hussain, stated that she was unwell and asleep during the raid. She was released three days later on 9 October 2024. In July 2025, an Anti-Terrorism Court in Faisalabad sentenced her to 10 years in prison for her alleged role in the May 9, 2023, protests. Subsequently, the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified her on 5 August 2025 due to this conviction.

Controversy arose in June 2019 regarding the appointment of her sister, Shabnam Gul, as a director in NACTA. A principal staff officer wrote a letter to the Secretary Interior following a conversation with the Minister. While NACTA claimed the appointment was merit-based, the incident drew significant media criticism.

Personal life

Gul moved to Dera Ghazi Khan in 2010 after she got married. She remains a prominent figure within the Wazir tribe of North Waziristan.