JI fields most minority candidates from Peshawar
While other parties struggle, Jamaat has 57 election hopefuls
PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS
PESHAWAR:
For many, Jamaat-e-Islami’s name says it all; a religious party working for the Muslim community. On the contrary, however, it has fielded as many as 57 minority candidates for Peshawar district alone—outnumbering any religious or secular party.
The secret is the strength of its minority wing on the district, provincial and national level. As a result, whereas other political parties are struggling to field minority candidates, JI has faced no such problem.
Central and Provincial President JI Minority Wing Pervez Masih tells The Express Tribune that 47 of the party’s minority candidates are vying for councillor seats, while 10 are running for town and district seats.
“The key lies in the strong organisational structure of our party,” he says. “I am the national level president of JI’s minority wing and the provincial president of K-P,” he says. Masih adds the party’s minority wing’s other officials in Peshawar are District President Danial Samuel, Vice President Dilawar Masih, General Secretary Javed Gil, Secretary Information Munir Siraj and the town presidents.
“It is true the majority of our candidates are Christian,” he explains, adding the Sikh community has a strong affiliation with PTI due to Soran Singh. He is a minister in the ruling party’s ranks.
“We feel very comfortable with JI and I have served as a party MNA in 2002,” he says. According to the JI leader, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has 11, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) 17 and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) 13 minority candidates.
“No other political party, be it secular or religious, can even come close to JI in this regard,” he claims. He says PTI has the second largest number of candidates, but the total pales in comparison to JI.
It is also a fact that before elections, all other parties, including PPP and ANP, started searching for minority candidates and approached the Sikh and Hindu community. However, their efforts of finding candidates willing to accept their party tickets met with little success.
Meanwhile, Peshawar JI Minority Wing President Danial Samuel told The Express Tribune seven minority candidates have been elected unopposed. “Three candidates from Town-I, as many from Town-III and one from Town-IV have been elected,” he said. He added the majority of JI candidates in Peshawar were Christian, but three were also Sikhs.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2015.
For many, Jamaat-e-Islami’s name says it all; a religious party working for the Muslim community. On the contrary, however, it has fielded as many as 57 minority candidates for Peshawar district alone—outnumbering any religious or secular party.
The secret is the strength of its minority wing on the district, provincial and national level. As a result, whereas other political parties are struggling to field minority candidates, JI has faced no such problem.
Central and Provincial President JI Minority Wing Pervez Masih tells The Express Tribune that 47 of the party’s minority candidates are vying for councillor seats, while 10 are running for town and district seats.
“The key lies in the strong organisational structure of our party,” he says. “I am the national level president of JI’s minority wing and the provincial president of K-P,” he says. Masih adds the party’s minority wing’s other officials in Peshawar are District President Danial Samuel, Vice President Dilawar Masih, General Secretary Javed Gil, Secretary Information Munir Siraj and the town presidents.
“It is true the majority of our candidates are Christian,” he explains, adding the Sikh community has a strong affiliation with PTI due to Soran Singh. He is a minister in the ruling party’s ranks.
“We feel very comfortable with JI and I have served as a party MNA in 2002,” he says. According to the JI leader, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has 11, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) 17 and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) 13 minority candidates.
“No other political party, be it secular or religious, can even come close to JI in this regard,” he claims. He says PTI has the second largest number of candidates, but the total pales in comparison to JI.
It is also a fact that before elections, all other parties, including PPP and ANP, started searching for minority candidates and approached the Sikh and Hindu community. However, their efforts of finding candidates willing to accept their party tickets met with little success.
Meanwhile, Peshawar JI Minority Wing President Danial Samuel told The Express Tribune seven minority candidates have been elected unopposed. “Three candidates from Town-I, as many from Town-III and one from Town-IV have been elected,” he said. He added the majority of JI candidates in Peshawar were Christian, but three were also Sikhs.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2015.