PARIS: Shaistah Raja, a deputy mayor in the Sarcelles borough of Paris, is hopeful of becoming the first person of Pakistan origin to be elected to France’s National Assembly.

Raja is also the first Pakistani woman to contest the election for France’s parliament, which is scheduled for June 12.

The 35-year-old was born and educated in France where her family moved from Jhelum in Pakistan’s Punjab.

She is a member of the Gauche Républicaine et Socialiste (Republican and Socialist Left) party, which was formed in 2019

“If I become a member of the France National Assembly, I will play my role for the betterment of relations between the people of Pakistan and France,” Raja told Aaj News.

Raja has been involved in politics for over a decade and was first noticed in 2016 after which she has held several key posts. She was elected the deputy mayor of Sarcelles over a year ago.