Politicians beware, the Achar party’s crocodile is here to swallow you whole

60-year-old Shahzada Alamgir Khan from Malakand plans to add a little spice to your electoral life.

PESHAWAR/ BATKHELA:

Tired of the alphabet soup of political parties? Well, Shahzada Alamgir Khan plans to add a little spice to your electoral life.

This sixty-year-old Malakand native has launched his own political party, the agenda of which says is a pick of the best points of the manifestos of all political parties. It’s quite fitting then, that his party is named the Pakistan Achar party.

“There is a huge number of politicians and political parties who try to deceive the naïve people through their colourful slogans and manifestos; I have selected the good points from all the parties,” Shahzada Alamgir told The Express Tribune.

The seven-coloured party flag is also in keeping with this political potpourri; Alamgir says the flag takes colours from the flags of all major political parties.

But while he is okay with taking good points from other parties, he also says he has nothing in common with them. In fact, that’s why he chose the magarmach (crocodile) as his election symbol. “We are proud of the symbol,” said the party leader. “Only a crocodile can swallow the bad politicians.”

This isn’t the first time he’s tried to swim in the murky swamp of Pakistani politics either. Alamgir has been contesting elections since 1993, even though he has never won. Even though his party has not yet been registered with the Election commission of Pakistan, he is confident that people will support him.

“My only slogan is education, because only education can change society, eradicate terrorism and ensure prosperity,” he said.

Certainly Alamgir, who has worked as a taxi driver, did manage to get the support of the labour class in his ’93 and ’97 electoral bids. Later, the graduate requirement kept him from contesting.

Now contesting from NA-35, the magarmach will have to take a bite out of some seriously big fish like former Nazim Fida Mohammad Khan, the ANP’s prominent poet Rahmat Shah Sayal, JI’s Bakhtiar Maani,, JUI-F’s Saeed Ahmad and PTI’s Junaid Akbar.

Faced with such opposition, the Achar party’s public relations secretary Wajahat Ali Khan complains that they are not able to campaign in full force.

“The Deputy Commissioner has imposed on ban on our holding a political gathering as thousands of people gather which creates a security situation,” said Khan.

“Different political parties have offered million of rupees for us to withdraw in their favour, but our leaders rejected them all,” Khan claimed, while adding that other independent candidates has asked to join the Achar party they were refused.

With only a few days to go, Khan is trying to get permission to hold at least one huge rally, as the corner meetings the party is conducting aren’t good enough for him. Iqbal Jan, a local poet, has composed a number of catchy slogans and poems for the party ion the hope that the magarmach really bites off a chunk of the popular vote.

“It is not just a political party, but the outcome of frustration with the existing political situation,” said local voter Attaullah Khan. “Here the politicians focus more on their personal interest than the common good will of the country.” Come May 11th, those politicians may just be in a bit of a pickle.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 8^th, 2013.