Older voters rejoice at youth participation
Elderly family members inspire young relatives to vote.
Activists of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) wave party flags as they drive through the streets during the general election in Rawalpindi on May 11, 2013. PHOTO : AFP
LAHORE:
It was billed as the elections in which new and young voters would make their mark, but elderly voters appeared equally enthused by the promise of change and hope for a brighter future on polling day on Saturday.
Mahmooda Ahmad Bashir, 80, waited almost three hours to cast her vote at the FC College polling station. A police car offered her a ride from the polling station to the exit. “Thank you son,” she said to the policeman who helped her out of the car at the gate.
Exhausted but elated after casting her vote, she sipped from a bottle of water. Who did she vote for? “The Bat of course!” she said and flashed a victory sign. She asked each beta who passed by to “vote for change”.
“I have come out today because I am all for change in this country,” she said. “We need this nation to move forward. We’ve had enough corruption.”
Mahmooda is mother of actor Bushra Ansari and was accompanied by another daughter, Neelam Ahmad Bashir. Though they both have the same permanent address in Gulberg III, Neelam’s vote was registered in Sahiwal. “As many as seven members of my family were unable to vote because their votes had been registered in Sahiwal though their permanent address is the same as mine,” she said.
Naeema Khanum, 68, has been partially paralysed since she was young. She trudged to the polling station at Union Council 82 in Santnagar, NA-120, using a walker. “She was determined to come and vote despite her difficulty. It inspired the whole family to vote,” said Abdullah Naeem, her nephew.
Khanum, who is single and lives with her brothers and their families, prayed for the country as she stood in the queue. “It is everyone’s responsibility to vote and bring honest people to power,” she said.
It wasn’t just the young people who were voting for the first time on Saturday. Nasira Bibi, 75, lost her temper at the presiding officer at Musarrat Government Girls High School Babu Sabu on Bund Road, when she asked her to fold her ballot paper “properly”.
“How should I know how to fold it properly? I am voting for the first time,” she said. “The staff aren’t treating voters properly.”
Tanzila Umer and Shama Haq, both in their 50s, have voted in several previous elections, but both agreed that they had never seen such a high turnout. “It took me three hours but it was worth the wait. It was a wonderful experience,” said Shama about voting at the Defence Public School polling station in DHA Sector S, as she and her friend watched young supporters of PML-N and PTI celebrate on the streets. “This is what we have been lacking, young people showing an interest. I am glad to see them all out and about,” she added.
Tanzeela, a resident of DHA Phase 8, said that arrangements at the polling station where she voted were very poor. “But while it took me almost three hours I have no regrets,” she said.
Her husband, Shaukat Umer, was voting for the first time. “I was never inclined to vote before as I found no one worthy,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 12th, 2013.
It was billed as the elections in which new and young voters would make their mark, but elderly voters appeared equally enthused by the promise of change and hope for a brighter future on polling day on Saturday.
Mahmooda Ahmad Bashir, 80, waited almost three hours to cast her vote at the FC College polling station. A police car offered her a ride from the polling station to the exit. “Thank you son,” she said to the policeman who helped her out of the car at the gate.
Exhausted but elated after casting her vote, she sipped from a bottle of water. Who did she vote for? “The Bat of course!” she said and flashed a victory sign. She asked each beta who passed by to “vote for change”.
“I have come out today because I am all for change in this country,” she said. “We need this nation to move forward. We’ve had enough corruption.”
Mahmooda is mother of actor Bushra Ansari and was accompanied by another daughter, Neelam Ahmad Bashir. Though they both have the same permanent address in Gulberg III, Neelam’s vote was registered in Sahiwal. “As many as seven members of my family were unable to vote because their votes had been registered in Sahiwal though their permanent address is the same as mine,” she said.
Naeema Khanum, 68, has been partially paralysed since she was young. She trudged to the polling station at Union Council 82 in Santnagar, NA-120, using a walker. “She was determined to come and vote despite her difficulty. It inspired the whole family to vote,” said Abdullah Naeem, her nephew.
Khanum, who is single and lives with her brothers and their families, prayed for the country as she stood in the queue. “It is everyone’s responsibility to vote and bring honest people to power,” she said.
It wasn’t just the young people who were voting for the first time on Saturday. Nasira Bibi, 75, lost her temper at the presiding officer at Musarrat Government Girls High School Babu Sabu on Bund Road, when she asked her to fold her ballot paper “properly”.
“How should I know how to fold it properly? I am voting for the first time,” she said. “The staff aren’t treating voters properly.”
Tanzila Umer and Shama Haq, both in their 50s, have voted in several previous elections, but both agreed that they had never seen such a high turnout. “It took me three hours but it was worth the wait. It was a wonderful experience,” said Shama about voting at the Defence Public School polling station in DHA Sector S, as she and her friend watched young supporters of PML-N and PTI celebrate on the streets. “This is what we have been lacking, young people showing an interest. I am glad to see them all out and about,” she added.
Tanzeela, a resident of DHA Phase 8, said that arrangements at the polling station where she voted were very poor. “But while it took me almost three hours I have no regrets,” she said.
Her husband, Shaukat Umer, was voting for the first time. “I was never inclined to vote before as I found no one worthy,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 12th, 2013.