Political diary: Elections place youth at the forefront in Buner

Many residents of the district remain disgruntled with the Awami National Party.

BUNER/ DAGGAR:

As the polls draw nearer, Buner, like the rest of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), is gripped by election fever.

Flags of various political parties are seen on houses as one enters the district from Totalai. Once a stronghold of the Awami National Party (ANP), the entire district looks like a decorated sufi shrine in the run up to the polls.

Changing perspectives

Pardip Gul, an activist of the ANP, said Hindus and Sikhs used to vote for the ANP but now young members of these minority groups are forcing everyone to vote for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.  “They have raised the mantra of change, but how can they change us?” he asked smilingly. Gul explained the ANP leadership used to proudly lay claim to the minorities’ vote bank, but now the situation is different as teenagers from both Hindu and Sikh communities are gearing support for Imran Khan. “I like Imran Khan as a cricketer, but not as a politician. Politics is a mess,” said Gul.



There are a total of 360,019 registered voters in Buner — 195,215 men and 164, 804 women. Despite the fact that all political parties are striving hard in their campaigns to bag more voters, elders of the area claim it is the PTI that has the potential to influence politics in the area.

Most people have turned their backs on the ANP. Not because they have failed to launch election campaigns but because they believe the party will not deliver during its tenure. Residents of Buner claimed they provide the best marble stones which can raise revenue for the district by up to 85%. They complain the ANP did not exploit this strength. Additionally, they say the ANP did not solve pertinent problems such as the issue of tobacco royalties, lack of staff in schools and district headquarters hospital, lack of water and severe deforestation. The residents accept that the ANP government worked on paving streets, drains, constructing schools and increasing the female literacy rate.



They argue, however, that basic problems such as electricity and gas provision along with employment should have been addressed, and that the party that wins must consider these issues in earnest.

Buner is divided into three provincial assembly seats, PK-77, 78 and 79, and one National Assembly seat, NA-28. Nearly 50 candidates are contesting from the district in the upcoming elections.

PK-77



In the 2008 polls, Sardar Hussain Babak won from PK-77 on an ANP ticket and completed his tenure as K-P minister for education. Jamshed Khan of the Pakistan Peoples Party-Sherpao was Babak’s runner up and joined the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in 2010. Liaqat Ali of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) came in third and later joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Babak is to contest from the same constituency on an ANP ticket. Meanwhile, the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) has awarded a ticket to Syed Member Shah, the JI has given a ticket to Jamshed Khan, Liaqat Ali will stand for the PML-N and a local businessman, Iqbal Khan, will contest on a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ticket.  The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) awarded a ticket to Maulana Subhanullah, who withdrew his application in favour of the QWP after an election alliance was formed between the two parties. Finally, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has awarded a ticket to Safiullah Khan.



The JI’s Jamshed Khan, who is supposed to be a strong candidate, said even though the party’s boycott of the 2008 elections was damaging, he still had time to run an effective campaign and persuade people to vote for him. Campaigns are also being run by the PTI and PML-N, whose activists hold motorcycle rallies every day that are paid for by the parties. This is in stark contrast with the ANP’s Babak, who is forced to stay at home and hold corner meetings due to militant threats.

Babak will have an edge over the other candidates because he has completed several development projects for Totalai, including establishing water supply schemes, schools, with particular focus on increasing female literacy, and other developmental projects to generate employment.

The JI on the other hand is boosting support by holding campaigns, while the QWP’s alliance with the JUI-F will also provide stiff competition. Meanwhile, the PTI, which lays claim to the youth vote, still has a long way to go in the constituency. However, despite the fact that each party claims it will win the constituency, people remain disgruntled and say the standard of life is deteriorating with each passing day. “Everyone is trying to win, but none of them will do anything for the people,” said Khalid Saeed, a former ANP activist who says he does not support any political group anymore.

In PK-77, the political environment is influenced by the JI, QWP, and ANP, leaving independent candidates little chance to achieve victory. Moreover, some parties have also allegedly paid independent candidates to stand in the elections in order to weaken the vote bank of their rivals, which means the independents are merely pawns.

NA-28

Like the provincial assembly seats, the National Assembly (NA) seat was also won by an ANP candidate in 2008. However, Istiqbal Khan, who won on an ANP ticket, quit at the end of his tenure and joined the JUI-F. According to residents, he was receiving death threats from militants. Khan is now supporting Maulana Haleemur Rahman, the JUI-F candidate who is also backed by QWP supporters. The ANP, meanwhile, has awarded a ticket to newcomer Abdur Rauf. Since the PPP did not nominate a candidate for the seat, the party’s supporters will vote for the ANP. The PTI, on the other hand, has awarded a ticket to Mian Moinuddin while the JI has nominated Sher Akbar Khan. Finally, Sarzamin Khan will contest on a PML-N ticket. No independent candidate has filed papers to stand for the NA seat from Buner.

The JI’s Sher Akbar Khan is thought to be a favourite here. “Most people in the area support the JI as it has done a lot of social work in the region,” said Akbar. “Despite being out of government, the party installed generators, paved roads, and helped people in their daily lives.”

PML-N candidate Sarzamin Khan said the party was conducting a strong election campaign in the region. “We even contacted the Gujjar and Ajarh people living in the remote areas of the district in our campaigns,” he claimed, adding that camel jockeys came down from the mountains to support the party. Interestingly, Sarzamin further claimed giving the jockeys food was a custom of the area and not in violation of the election Code of Conduct.

“We have come out on the streets to give people their rights and encourage change,” said PTI candidate Mian Moinuddin. He was unable to substantiate his claims and said how the party intended to send teachers in the mountainous regions to improve education, or address the massive power outages and deforestation.

Currently, the JI remains locked in contest with the PML-N. Despite their alliance, both the JUI-F and the QWP remain weak.

PK-78



In PK-78, Sowarai often decides the fate of the constituency. In 2008, the ANP’s Qaiser Wali Khan won the seat and was followed by Amanullah Khan of the then PPP-Sherpao and Sardar Ali Khan of the PML-N.

This time, the JI has awarded a ticket to Habibur Rahman while the JUI-F has nominated Shamsul Arifeen, who like his counterpart in PK-78 also withdrew his ticket after the seat adjustment with QWP. He is now supporting the latter’s Hameedur Rahman.

In the upcoming polls, the PML-N is considered to be the strongest party in contention, followed by the JI and the alliance between QWP and the JUI-F. The PPP and PTI are considered to be weak parties here.

Most voters in the constituency still favour the ANP. However, failing developmental projects, including staff shortages at hospitals and deteriorating roads, may cause difficulties for the party in PK-78.

PK-79



Syed Rahim won the seat in the 2008 polls on an ANP ticket, and is set to contest for the party once again. Shah Bakht Rawan, a PML-Q ticket holder who was a runner up last time, later joined the PML-N and will now represent the party in PK-79. Abdul Aziz, a candidate of the QWP, meanwhile, withdrew his ticket in favour of JUI-F contestant Fazal Shakoor as per the alliance between the two parties. The PTI has awarded a ticket to Sher Khan while the PPP has nominated Israr Ahmad. Former K-P Assembly speaker Bakht Jahan will contest on a JI ticket.

Due to rifts between ANP activists, the party’s chances are very slim, especially since the JUI-F, JI and PML-N have launched campaigns on massive scales. The PML-N has even hired camel jockeys to wave party flags.

The true battle for the constituency will be between the JI, JUI-F and PML-N, all of whom had launched campaigns long before the polls were scheduled. The ANP’s door-to-door drives and corner meetings will be unable to amass a large number of voters. Meanwhile, young voters will be more likely to favour the PML-N due to the PTI’s weak position in the area.

The ANP also must face the legacy of its previous tenure. Although it completed several development projects, people are not satisfied. They claim schools have been rebuilt but lack teachers, while power outages continue to plague the area.

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Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2013.