From waiter to MNA: PTI's Gul Zafar wins from Bajaur against all odds

Zafar wins from NA-41 defeating former PPP candidate Akhunzada Chatan

SHABQADAR: The recent general elections brought its fair share of surprise results but a hotel waiter bagging a seat in the National Assembly from Bajaur by ousting a political heavy weight must be the biggest of them all.

Gul Zafar, who is known as Baghi or Lewani (rebel) by the locals, is among one of the working class Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members from an area, which was part of the former federally administered tribal area (FATA).

He won from NA-41 Bajaur by defeating former Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Akhunzada Chatan, as well as, independent candidate Shahabuddin Khan.

Zafar, who has worked his way up by starting from waiting tables, also contested the polls back in 2013 but was defeated.



The PTI has won six out of the 12 seats from the tribal area with two each from Bajaur and Khyber along with one from Mohmand and one from Kuram in the 2018 elections.

When Zafar was asked how he was able to win the seat against steep odds, he said, "I come from a very humble background but with the party's help I was able to raise the necessary funds to run in the constituency.

"We've raised twenty million rupees from donations from which we constructed party offices and secretariat."

He added that five out of the six candidates that won from the party from the district come from a lower middle class background.

"We don't have any lavish lifestyles and the people have voted for change," he said.