Waiting for Godot: Town-II’s residents count down to LG polls

Eager to cash in on candidates’ promises to resolve grievances

PESHAWAR:

Situated in the northeastern part of the city, Town-II has become a hub for political activity. Colourful posters and flags bearing electoral symbols of various candidates have bedecked the walls while large banners hang atop buildings.

Every evening, as the sun sets, candidates hold flag marches in the narrow lanes of the town and conduct door-to-door visits to persuade people to vote for them.



“We visit each and every community centre and hujra in the evening to persuade people to vote for us,” said Mohammad Aslam, a town council candidate in Saeedabad. “And we travel in car rallies displaying party flags and posters.” Aslam is contesting on a PTI ticket.

However, only half the battle will be won if these aspirants win the elections. Those who will seize the reins have big shoes to fill as a diverse menu of needs and responsibilities need to be addressed.

On the map

Town-II comprises 25 union councils. These include Hassan Ghari, Lala, Chamkani, Wadpagga, Pakha Ghulam, Kankola, Budni, Nahaqi, Gulbela, Khatki, Takhtabad, Khazana, Haryana Paya, Kafoor Dheri, Shahi Bala, Jogani, Panam Dheri, Ghari Sherdad, Pajjagi, Larama, Dag, Mathra, Kaniza, Duran Pur and Chaghar Matti. A majority of these union councils are an amalgamation of small villages which are located on the outskirts of the city.

Money talks

Residents have repeatedly complained of gas shortages and prolonged power outages. Many villages have yet to receive proper gas connections while others are facing difficulties getting transformers fixed.

During the campaigns, aspirants vowed to resolve these grievances once they are voted into power.

Speaking at a gathering in Duran Pur earlier this month, Sartaj Khan, a candidate for town council, announced his decision to use his own money to buy two mobile transformers to guarantee power supply if a Pesco transformer breaks down. The announcement was hailed as a positive move and attracted a round of applause. However, in return, Sartaj asked residents to vote for him and his district candidate as well.

Reeling from a cold shoulder

Others have raised concerns about the condition of roads in the area and do not trust parliamentarians to address the challenges. They are optimistic the LG polls will create opportunities for a new breed of leaders who will set things right.

“We have not seen Sajid Nawaz, our local MPA, since he got elected,” said Javed Jani, a resident of Pakha Ghulam. “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders used us to get voted into power but eventually forgot about us.”

A majority of areas in Town-II were affected by the mini-cyclone which hit the province on April 26. “Only the district administration helped us in our time of need,” said Asghar Khan, resident of Zubair Colony in Pakha Ghulam.

Save the date

With elections around the corner, a competitive spirit has laid siege to the region and is likely to trigger a tough battle for supremacy among opposition and the ruling parties. The tripartite alliance of Awami National Party, Pakistan Peoples Party and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl has distributed town and district council seats in several areas.

The general secretary for the alliance, ANP’s Malik Naseem, plans to defeat PTI to seek revenge for his party’s loss in the 2013 general elections.

“The political atmosphere is favourable for us as PTI failed to deliver to the public after it came into power,” he said. “ANP’s popularity is unparalleled. The party’s souvenirs have been sold out in the market.”

According to Naseem, the party has issued tickets to politicians who have a strong political background and have won local government elections in the past.

Predictions of success

PPP has also nominated candidates who originate from political backgrounds.

PPP Peshawar President Malik Tamash Khan said the party is weak in Jagani UC because their candidate is fairly new.

“Apart from this, we are particularly strong in other UCs,” he said. “I am sure we will win most seats.”

Jamaat-e-Islami has a coalition with PTI at Chaghar Matti, Kaniza, Kafoor Dheri and Panam Dheri while in the rest of the 21 UCs, the party is contesting on its own.

“We are hoping to win a majority of those as we performed well in the 2002 and 2005 elections,” said JI spokesperson Advocate Israrullah. “The tripartite alliance has no coordination with each other so we don’t expect them to give us tough competition.”

PTI is also optimistic about its success in the LG polls and considers the tripartite alliance an obstacle in its plans to make a clean sweep.

“We have given party tickets to young people and hope to bag all the nazim seats in the four towns,” said PTI Peshawar President Yasin Khan Khalil. “Only PTI parliamentarians and candidates care about the peoples’ needs.”

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Peshawar President Abdul Sattar Khalil has also voiced optimism about winning a maximum number of seats from the town.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2015.