PROVINCE REPORT
CHARSADDA: Dozens of political activists, including office-bearers of various village councils and branches of the Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), have announced joining the political caravan of Syed Ma’sum Shah Bacha in PK-65, Charsadda.
The new entrants include ANP Village Council Daulatpura members Ayaz Khan, Nawaz Khan, Mohammad Latif, Gul Nazim Khaji, Momin Khan, Izzat Khan, Shah Fahad, Musa Khan and Dilawar Khan.
Among those joining from ANP Village Council Sheikh Kallay are its president Mohammad Hamza Khan, Farhad Amir, general secretary Zabihullah, Arab Gul, Dilawar Khan, Habibullah Salar, deputy salar Zarbaz Khan and former councillor Mehr Taj Bibi. Iftikhar Ali Bhutto, branch president Qila, Shah Nawaz, branch president, and Saddam Khan, branch secretary, also announced their association with Mr Bacha.
PTI-linked Bahar Ali, Raz Mohammad, branch president Qazi Mohalla, former PTI president Qaiser Khan Majookay, Hazrat Ali, Talha Khan, Asim Khan, Taimoor Khan and Sheraz Khan were also among those who joined the caravan.
Addressing a crowded press conference on Sugar Mills Road in PK-65, Mr Bacha welcomed the new entrants and said he would strive to live up to the confidence reposed in him by political workers and local representatives.
He said he wanted to change the political landscape of Charsadda through public service and would contest elections on the basis of his performance. He also announced that his group would field candidates in the forthcoming local government elections.
Mr Bacha said he was pleased that “prominent and sincere” political workers from different parties were joining his caravan and claimed that more important political and social figures would join him in the coming months.
Referring to his political career, he said he had been involved in politics for 38 years and the respect and affection he had received from the people remained unforgettable. He said that although he was neither an MNA nor an MPA, he had initiated development and public-service activities in PK-65.
He claimed that more than 300 electricity transformers had been repaired during the past year, while electricity poles were installed and transmission lines laid in several areas. He said he had also used his personal contacts to facilitate electricity connections in areas that previously lacked the facility.
Mr Bacha said protection of the belief in the finality of Prophethood, public service and development of the area were the main pillars of his politics. He alleged that PK-65 had remained neglected for several electoral terms and said he had started working on public issues even before contesting elections.
“We will change the direction of politics in Charsadda. First we will serve the people and then contest elections,” he said, adding that he wanted to free poor people from what he described as the politics of political hujras and the domination of particular families.
He alleged that politics in some areas had been influenced by weapons, extortion and land mafias, and said such practices should come to an end. He also criticised what he called the feudal character of some political parties, saying that if wealthy political figures spent even part of their resources on public welfare, many local problems could be addressed.
Criticising his political opponents, Mr Bacha said those taunting him had been facing successive electoral defeats since 2013. He alleged that the ANP had departed from the path of Bacha Khan, the Pakistan Peoples Party from that of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and the PTI from the political vision of Imran Khan. He also accused former provincial minister Fazal Shakoor Khan of disappointing PTI workers.
On the issue of finality of Prophethood, Mr Bacha said it was not the responsibility of religious scholars alone but a matter of faith for Muslims. He said he would continue raising his voice on the issue.
He also made remarks about the Ahmadi community, claiming that around 350 registered Ahmadis lived in Charsadda. He said he would seek to persuade them through dialogue and arguments.
Mr Bacha claimed that almost all major political parties had contacted him regarding political cooperation, but said he intended to contest the next general elections as an independent candidate. He said he wanted to seek votes on the basis of his performance and public support rather than a party ticket.
He also supported the creation of new provinces, arguing that it could reduce the concentration of political power in the hands of particular individuals and improve public access to government institutions and services.
Regarding Afghanistan, he said it was a separate country with its own problems, while political leaders in Pakistan should focus on issues confronting their own people.
Referring to the Charsadda all-parties conference, he said that if his group was ignored in efforts to resolve public problems, it would raise the issues independently. “If political parties cannot resolve a problem, people can give me a chance to try,” he said.
Mr Bacha claimed that the process of political workers joining his caravan would continue and that more prominent figures would announce their association with him in the coming months. He said his objective was to promote a politics based on public service, development and resolution of the problems faced by the people of PK-65.
