A Pakistani housewife, who cannot read or write despite being married to a headteacher, has made history by becoming the first woman approved to run for election in the Taliban-infested tribal belt.
Badam Zari, 53, has little chance of winning, but her enthusiasm has been seized upon as a step towards emancipation in one of the most conservative parts of Pakistan, where women live in purdah and many are barred from even voting.
53-year-old Zari, who comes from Arang, is standing as an independent. She registered to run on Sunday but was only told by election commission officials on Wednesday that her application had been accepted.
Under Pakistani law, being illiterate and uneducated is no bar to running for parliament.
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