A stitch in time: Tailoring a new fate for young people
By
Asad Zia
Published: May 29, 2015
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Khwaja Umair. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR: Khwaja Umair has covered all the bases to contest local government polls on a reserved seat for youth at the neighbourhood level from Sikandar Town.
A 25-year-old tailor who runs a shop in Gulbahar, Umair is eager to bring challenges faced by young people to the fore. Umair has an unconventional story to go with his commitment to solve these challenges.
Never into politics or studies, Umair gave up on higher education after passing his SSC examination in 2007 and took up stitching for a living. Like many in his profession, Umair became a good listener, hearing his young clients and others in his union council discuss problems they faced. He decided to contest the local government elections in a bid to “set things right”.
‘When I am elected’
At first, the 25-year-old found himself weighed down by the complex procedures involved in the local government system. However, a lack of knowledge did not thin his determination to fix it all.
“My first priority will be to make arrangements for a playground in the area,” he said. “Children have no place to play.”
According to Umair, unemployment remains a pressing concern for people and many graduates are finding it difficult to find jobs.
The 25-year-old believes many youth candidates are unaware of how the local government system works.
“Once elected, I will make an effort to understand my responsibilities,” he said. “For now, I am more concerned about juggling electioneering with my responsibilities towards my shop.”
Party support
Umair has gained considerable support for his campaign from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
“I am a PTI supporter and will follow its manifesto if I am elected,” he said.
PTI’s Peshawar General Secretary Younas Zaheer said the Insaf Youth Forum will support youth candidates.
However, the Election Commission of Pakistan in K-P spokesperson Sohail Khan said young candidates have not been allowed to use any party flags and symbols during the electioneering process.
“We have not received complaints about PTI or any other party which is are openly supporting candidates,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2015.
KPK Takes Lead Over Punjab
about 1 hour ago
LAHORE – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) has taken lead from Punjab in Local government system as KPK trickled down more power to the lower level than Punjab for upcoming local bodies election.
Punjab has reduced the powers of Local Government (LG) institutions in the current process of power devolution than that of 2001 local government Act.
The KPK LG act 2013 has given more powers to the institutions at lower level as compared to LG institutions of other provinces.
KPK in the current LG system has not only abolished the Union Councils (UC) but devolved more powers to the village and neighborhood councils
These village and neighborhood councils will monitor the provincials departments along with police in their respective areas.
The provincial finance commission is independent in its decision under 2013 LG Act of KPK, whereas the LG commission are given immense powers to exercise.
The women’s are also given huge representation in the current local government system of KPK.
However, in Punjab the powers already existing with LG departments were further squeezed which tags a question marks over government intentions as to why Punjab government was reluctant to trickle down powers to LG’s departments, said sources.
Sources said that an official of transaction committee agreed to the fact that Punjab LG’s system was less powerful than the other three provinces.
KPK Takes Lead Over Punjab | The News Tribe
Can ‘change’ replace ‘roti, kapra, makaan’?
By
Our Correspondents /
Photo: Muhammad Iqbal
Published: May 29, 2015
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Banners and flags in Town-I. PHOTOS: MUHAMMAD IQBAL/EXPRESS
PESHAWAR:
Town-I has always been considered a stronghold of Pakistan Peoples Party but in 2013 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf managed to gain an upper hand in the region.
Many believe PTI’s popularity during the previous polls was a short-lived trend and voters are likely to be more realistic about who they throw their weight behind. Yet, analysts feel PTI will make a clean sweep as party workers are taking the electioneering process seriously.
But will party loyalty overtake personal networking in areas like Yakatoot, Gulbahar or Ander Sheher?
Big fancy cars
“The local government elections are going to be held on a micro or mohallah level,” Ajmal Afridi, a resident of Gulbahar tells
The Express Tribune. “I don’t think political parties are so involved at this level.” According to Afridi, the personal charm of candidates will be more important in the polls.
“Money, large vehicles and family background are likely to play a pivotal role, not a party’s position,” he explains. “This is because neighbourhood councils are fairly small. I think this will give all contestants a fair chance to win the polls.”
Mateen Khan, another resident, claims the outcome of the polls depends more on the efforts of individual candidates rather than the party they belong to.
“Some aspirants who were allotted tickets by political parties do not want to mention their party affiliations during the electioneering process,” Khan explains. “Many of them fear this will discourage voters who do not support their party’s agenda from voting for them.”
Party lines
Badshah Gul, a resident of Lahori Gate, has a different view.
“I think people will vote for PTI just because they are in power,” he says. “People would prefer having councillors from the ruling party so their problems can be addressed easily. This is likely to be a decisive factor in the outcome of the polls.”
Gul believes PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami candidates have an advantage over aspirants from other parties.
“The urban areas of the city are mostly dominated by PPP and ANP,” he says. “But they are likely to have low prospects in the LG elections.”
Run for its money
This is the first time PTI is contesting LG elections in the provincial capital. At this critical juncture, the party is grappling with the daunting challenge of defeating the tripartite alliance of opposition parties. As a result, it has gone an extra mile to give its rivals a run for its money.
PTI has set up an election camp in Bilal Town, Gulbahar for its aspirant for the general councillor seat from UC-9, Qasim Ali Shah.
However, PTI’s rivals have also redoubled efforts to restore their previous standing.
Town-I fell to ANP and PPP in the 2002 and 2005, respectively. This time, both parties have aligned against PTI with considerable support from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl.
Defeating the newcomer
A senior ANP leader tells
The Express Tribune voting patterns have changed significantly following PTI’s growing popularity in the region.
Nonetheless, ANP City District President Malik Ghulam Mustafa is optimistic his party will sail to a win. “PTI’s growing popularity has dented PPP, which is our ally,” he says. “About 70% of PPP workers have left for PTI. ANP has lost 10% to 20% of its workers to the party.”
However, Mustafa feels the tripartite alliance will give PTI a tough time in the elections.
“Although I cannot say we will make a clean sweep in the polls, we will somewhat diminish PTI’s popularity,” he adds.
Speaking to
The Express Tribune, Qasim Ali Shah says PTI was initially intimidated by the alliance.
“However, once we started campaigning, we realised we did not need to worry about them too much,” he explains. Shah, and PTI, is optimistic about winning the polls.
A walk down memory lane
Town-I and other three towns of the province’s only city district government were first carved for the 2002 LG polls under General (retd) Pervez Musharraf. Initially, the town comprised 25 urban union councils and had an estimated population of 775,278. However, under the 2014 delimitation, boundaries were redrawn as union councils were reduced in size and turned into smaller neighbourhood and wards.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2015.
Joining the fray: From street vendor to politician
By
Sohail Khattak /
Photo: SOHAIL KHATTAK
Published: May 29, 2015
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Javed Hussain (centre) sits with his supporters. PHOTO: SOHAIL KHATTAK/EXPRESS
PESHAWAR: Although he believes politics is a game of the wealthy, 40-year-old Javed Hussain, a street vendor, has decided to test the waters. He will be among the thousands of candidates contesting a seat in the local government set-up that K-P’s residents will elect on May 30.
Hussain is a well-known face in the narrow streets of Kachi Mohallah where he is known as “Plastic wala chacha.” The name comes from how he makes his livelihood to provide for his five-member family. Hussain sells plastic utensils; carrying them in a large sack over his shoulder, the vendor roams the city’s streets chanting
plastic ke bartan (plastic utensils) to attract potential buyers.
Hussain’s day starts with
Fajr prayers when he sets out to sell his wares. When LG polls were announced in the province, Hussain decided to contest and with the aim to serve his neighbours, the 40-year-old filed his nomination for peasants/workers seat in the neighbourhood council from Pir Gulab Shah in Hashtnagri.
A team effort
“My family and friends asked me to stand in the elections and they are supporting me in campaigning, both financially and by canvassing voters,” Hussain told
The Express Tribune.
After he finishes his work for the day, Hussain, his friends and other aspirants gather at an
astana in Qadeem Imambargah around 3pm and plan ahead for the day. Then in a group of eight, they go door to door asking for votes. “We campaign in groups because it is easier to influence people,” said Malik Adil Zada who is contesting a youth seat from the neighbourhood which comprises Nishtarabad, Sikandarpura and Hashtnagri.
“We are workers of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) since my grandfather’s time, so I am contesting with support from the tripartite alliance of PPP, ANP and JUI-F,” said Hussain.
A candidate for village or neighbourhood council has to have around Rs25,000 to spend on electioneering, an amount Hussain feels he cannot afford to spend as he earns around Rs500 every day. “I am a poor man and earn for my children. If the day goes well, they eat, if it does not, they have to fast.”
However, it seems the vendor has quite a number of well-wishers. His friends who encouraged him to contest have been paying his campaigning expenses. “They divided the cost among themselves, someone paid for the cards, the other for posters and so forth,” he said.
The lack of money does not deter Hussain who is confident he will win a workers seat even though he has stiff competition from PTI-backed candidates. “Everyone knows me by name and face. Every house in this locality would have kitchen utensils I sold them. I know these streets inch by inch,” said Hussain.
He added if elected he would work on improving the locality’s drainage system and providing clean drinking water – the major problems residents are facing.
“I have grown up here. This was a slum area which is why it is called Kachi Mohallah,” said Hussain. “Many governments have come and gone but our problems have remained ignored, despite repeated written requests. Now, it is time to change our fate with self-help.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2015.
