Tolerance: Hazara Colony voters plan to vote together, celebrate together

Peaceful co-existence seen at political camps in CBC’s Ward No. 3.

KARACHI: Never has Karachi seen political harmony during elections the way it did in Hazara Colony on Saturday during the cantonment elections.

The voters were surprised to see the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) election camps side by side, teeming with people but devoid of political sloganeering.

Independent candidate, Zaffar Hussain, 30, was seen twirling his handlebar moustache at nearly every polling camp, laughing and joking around. “I am visiting every camp,” he admitted as he stood inside the PTI camp. “The loser should greet the winner and the winner should console the loser,” he suggested, adding that he was sure this is what will happen when the results are announced.

PTI camp officer Taleem Shah revealed that all the political parties contesting for Cantonment Board Clifton’s Ward No. 3, which includes Hazara Colony, had a meeting prior to the election campaign and they decided to avoid any personal attacks on any political party. “We decided to criticise only those who do not work for the people of the area,” he said. “The area’s election will be marked in the history due to the political harmony that we are exuding right now.”

As if to prove Shah’s statement, the elderly Shamim Akhtar — who is famous as the mother of PTI in the area — was seen standing at PML-N’s camp. “Bhai hai mera [He’s my brother],” she said, pointing to the PML-N camp incharge, Aurangzeb. He shared how the police don’t need to maintain law and order in Hazara Colony. “Since it’s a small suburb, we all have personal relations with each other,” he claimed, adding that his nephew, a PTI supporter, was sitting at the party’s camp. He added proudly that everyone will celebrate together as well when the results are announced.

Hazara Colony’s harmony was hardly witnessed at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan on Teen Talwar, where the political rivalries were quite apparent. In fact, Pakistan Peoples Party’s camp incharge, Nelo Naqvi, told The Express Tribune that no political party will gain more votes than her party. “All the votes are ours.” She attributed the peaceful polling to the presence of the armed forces.

PTI was sharing the same camp as PPP and workers on both sides were seen exchanging angry looks. “PPP can never defeat us,” said PTI camp officer Ikram, believing their presence was very strong in the area.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2015.