Historic moment in Arifwala as woman assumes village leader role

PAKPATTAN: Breaking traditional norms, Arifwala in district Pakpattan witnesses a historic milestone as Amna Bibi becomes the first woman to be appointed as the village leader, known as Lambardar.

Hailing from 22 KB village, Amna Bibi received the official notification of her appointment from Pakpattan Deputy Commissioner Sadia Mehr, a report by 24 News said on Monday.

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Amna Bibi’s groundbreaking appointment marks a significant step towards gender equality in rural areas, not only in Arifwala but also across the entire Punjab province. As the newly appointed Lambardar, she will shoulder responsibilities such as resolving disputes, collecting taxes, maintaining records, and liaising with the district administration.

The move is viewed as a positive initiative by the deputy commissioner towards empowering women in roles traditionally dominated by men. The Lambardari system, rooted in the pre-partition Indian land revenue system, typically sees individuals with considerable landholdings and hereditary status serving as Lambardars.

In the current landscape, there is a shift in the appointment trend, with educated youngsters possessing landholdings and hereditary status being chosen by deputy commissioners to replace older family members serving as Lambardars in Punjab.

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This pioneering moment in Arifwala follows the footsteps of Begum Sarwat Imtiaz, who made history in 1959 as the first female Lambardar in West Pakistan. Begum Sarwat Imtiaz took the oath as Lambardar of Chak 43/12 L in Chichawatni, district Montgomery, which is now part of Sahiwal.