Nothing’s gonna stop her: Bakht Zari rolls with the punches to bag an LG seat

Social worker was once asked to leave her village but returned with renewed vigour.

MARDAN:

Uniting to battle hunger, fighting for human rights, providing health care and nurturing children is necessary to create a society in which trust and security exists.

That is the motto Bakht Zari, 50, a renowned social activist has lived by her entire life. The chairperson of Brekhna Development Organisation has been elected unopposed on a women’s seat for Bulandi union council (UC), Katlang. However, the social activist turned politician tells The Express Tribune that the official result will be announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan on June 8, 2015, along with the rest of the seats across the province.

In a candid talk with The Express Tribune, she says it was the support from the women of the area that inspired her to contest for a local government seat.

“I was elected unopposed,” the long-time activist says. Most of her energies in social work have been spent in Katlang tehsil.

Recalling her initial struggles, Zari says she established her handicraft and vocational centre despite the doubts and misgivings of others.

“In 2002, the social welfare department gave me Rs10,000 to buy sewing machines,” Zari shares, adding she first started training women from the neighbourhood. The activist gained tremendous support from an NGO while establishing her centre.

“A door-to-door campaign was launched to convince village women to join the vocational centre, but there was stern resistance from the men of their families,” she recalls. “They believed NGO work is haram.”

However, none of this dissuaded Zari who was determined to make a difference and empower women in her area.

Evolving efforts

Fast-forward several years, and the lives of people in Swat and Bajaur Agency were turned upside down with the military operations of 2008. Thousands of displaced families shifted to Mardan and that is when Zari put her vocational training programme on hold.

Priorities shifted to providing hygiene kits, food packages and other necessities required by displaced people,” she remembers.

Her unyielding support for tribespeople did not come without its perils.

One midnight, unidentified militants planted explosives which partiality damaged her house. Luckily, she and her family escaped harm’s way.

Banished

“A jirga decided to vacate me from the village,” she says. Suddenly, those she helped and even Zari’s own husband turned against her. She recalls how her spouse and the women of the area decided during the meeting that she should be excommunicated as her activities threatened the security of the village.

Zari complied and first moved to Islamabad before going on towards Azad Kashmir.

The social worker says her husband and other family members forced her to hand over her children. She agreed on the condition that nothing should come in the way of their education.

“I started a garment business in Azad Kashmir,” Zari adds. However, not a day passed without missing her children Rani, Nazo, Khaista, Brekhna, Zeeshan and Osaam.

Then her cousin, who was settled in Rawalpindi, decided to play mediator between Zari and her family. He told her that her husband and children are missing her and he will try and negotiate her return.

On home ground

Zari returned to Mardan in 2012 and resumed her social work.

“Overall, our society is male dominant and it is usually impossible for a woman to carry out social work on her own,” Brekhna Development Organisation Director Shoaib Jamal tells The Express Tribune. “However, Bakht Zari has proven it can be done.”

He adds the organisation is working on three projects which tackle the energy crisis, gas consumption, health and education.

Jamal tells The Express Tribune he has always appreciated the efforts of the chairperson. Another colleague, Haider Ali, says he found her to be a very hard-working individual whose approach towards people in the office was always positive.

Now that Zari has taken a leap into the fray of politics, few of her supporters can doubt her dedication and determination to succeed in this field as well. Zari, after all, comes with a history of fighting for the rights of all.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24^th, 2015.