PML-N’s disgruntled minority member to take on ex-premier

Says party did not do anything for them, residents of his locality still have to drink contaminated water

ISLAMABAD: With his party ignoring members of his community in the reserved seats for minorities quota and the party ignoring the plight of the slum he lives in, a disheartened PML-N worker has decided to take on a former prime minister from the party in the capital in Wednesday’s election.

Ch Mansoor Randhawa, a worker of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and a resident of arguably one of the largest slums of the capital, France Colony, will be contesting against one of his party’s senior leaders and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

The two live in houses located less than two kilometres away in the federal capital of the country. But the difference between them could not be any starker.

Randhawa, who did not even complete his matriculation, is a scrapyard dealer who owns a small house in the colony.

Abbasi, on the other hand, is amongst the landed elites of the country with shares in multiple businesses and a net worth of over Rs84 million.

Yet, according to an additional district and sessions judge who ruled on a challenge to Abbasi’s nomination, more has been disclosed by Randhawa on work done for his constituents than by the former prime minister who only listed his “personal qualities” in clause N of the nomination form.

Randhawa, though, says he is contesting the polls with a heavy heart.

“My loyalty is with my political party, the PML-N. But my heart beats and bleeds for my Christian community who are facing numerous challenges and are deprived of their basic rights,” Randhawa said, noting that this struggle had transformed him from a ‘jiyala’ (dedicated worker) to a ‘baghi’ (rebel).

A former candidate for vice chairman from union council 28 in the capital, Randhawa listed in his nomination form the work he had done for the progress and welfare of Christian minorities and his locality — a stark contrast to what elected representatives of his party had delivered during their five years in power.

With an electoral symbol of a sewing machine, he hopes to stitch the differences between communities and parties in the constituency.

But ever since he announced plans to contest the elections as an independent candidate, Randhawa claims he has been facing pressure, especially from his party leaders who have asked him to withdraw his candidature and stop creating difficulties for Abbasi’s campaign.

“I decided to contest general election as an independent candidate and my intention is to not let my party down but to make sure that the unheard voices of my community are heard in the Parliament,” he told The Express Tribune, adding that he had taken up the issues of his locality and at other slums in the city with the senior leadership of the party on multiple occasion but in vain.

“Party leaders told me that the government was stuck with dharnas (street protests) and court cases throughout its tenure and thus it could not focus on other issues,” he said.

Randhawa said that France colony which is located in the heart of the capital but its residents are still forced to drink contaminated water.

“By consuming contaminated water, residents of the slums are suffering from water-borne diseases. They lack health facilities, a majority of the children could do not go to school due to poverty while the youth is unemployed,” Randhawa complained.

He added that he did not wish to upset party plans and had applied for a party ticket to contest the general elections from the seat. However, the party leadership decided to hand the ticket to Abbasi, who is already contesting from NA-57.

With no other option left, he decided to contest as an independent.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2018.