Try, try again: Veggie vendor eyes poll glory

Ignored by his party, Ali Gohar Sheikh attempts to carve his own path.

SUKKUR:

Ali Gohar Shaikh is a disgruntled jiyala. Following years of failure in his attempts to acquire a government job, he is selling vegetables near his home in Sukkur. However, he has now decided to try his luck at the ballot box and throw electoral challenge to traditional, well-entrenched politicians.

As his nomination papers have been accepted in PS-1 Sukkur as an independent candidate, he will be facing his erstwhile party colleague, Haji Anwar Mahar in the May 11 electoral battle.

“I joined the PPP in 1988 and sincerely worked hard for the party,” said Ali Gohar, speaking to The Express Tribune. “During that period I was deployed as polling agent for Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Nauman Islam Shaikh and Dr Nasrullah Baloch. Besides this, I was Unit President of Union Council-8 in 1989,” he added.



“After passing intermediate, I began to ask various PPP leaders to provide me with a government job,” said Gohar, “every time I went to them, they promised me a job, but never fulfilled their promise. One of the party leaders even told me that some people within the party were against giving me a job. During this period, jobs were given to different people based on favouritism and nepotism, but I was ignored.”

Recalling the first local government elections under former President Pervez Musharraf in 2001, he said, “I contested election for a councillor as an independent candidate and bagged 140 votes. The winner of the election with the support of PPP received 201 votes. You can judge my popularity from the number of votes I received as an independent candidate,” he said.

“I started selling vegetables with my father in 1989 and repeatedly tried to acquire a government job, but to no avail. My younger brother has a masters in English and he too has failed to get a job with the government,” continued Gohar, “Honestly speaking, there is no room for the dedicated and diehard workers within the party ranks. Leaders like such workers who keep praising them, like people used to do in the Mughal court.”

Gohar went on to say that he belongs to a poor family and does not have much money to spend on elections. However, he added, “I am confident that, with the love and support of local residents, I will emerge victorious.”

“I know it is very difficult to face heavyweights like Haji Anwar Mahar, because he has been elected twice and knows very well how to win elections,” said Gohar.  However, he added that he thinks there are still many people who will vote for him, “without any fear or favour.”

Gohar added that because he also comes from a poor background, he empathizes with the poor and says he will “surely do a lot to mitigate their sufferings”. “Since 1988 I have seen many parliamentarians come and go, all of whom have failed to meet the expectations of the poor,” he said. “Then, what is the use of sending them to the Parliament?” he wondered aloud.

Gohar alleges that many parliamentarians are fake degree and dual nationality holders. “If you go through their track record, they have done nothing for the people,” said Gohar, adding that they have used their position only to benefit themselves.

“If the people elect me and I am sent to Parliament, the first thing I will do will be for the welfare of the poor masses.”

He added that influential politicians exploit sincere workers and people for their own interests and forget them after coming into power. “I am a poor man and will work hard for the welfare of the poor.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2013.