How dual offices, poor election campaign stripped PTI of NA-1?

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) surrendered the keenly-watched NA-1 seat before the polling day primarily due to the chaos in the party.

The PTI didn’t appear making efforts to win election against Awami National Party (ANP) heavyweight Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, who had been all-time favourite on the seat until he was humbled by the PTI chairman Imran Khan.

One reason that the party failed to run an effective election campaign was its leaders’ dual offices. Almost all the PTI leaders hold offices both in the party and the government. Hardly any leader had remained in the party who could spearhead the election campaign as all enjoy key positions in the government that legally disallows them to participate in election campaign.

PTI Secretary General Pervez Khattak is the chief minister of the province. The provincial president of the party, Asad Qaiser, holds the office of the speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. The provincial general secretary, Shaukat Yousafzai, and president of Peshawar region are both cabinet members.

The legal predicament caused by dual offices badly affected the campaign for Gul Badshah as these leaders were unable to give it an impetus and there were no other office-bearers who could take on the responsibility. “Had the party office-bearers not been part of the government, the situation would have been different,” said a PTI leader, Zahid Hussain. “A seat won with such a huge margin would not have been lost in this manner,” he added.

After the May 11 general election, the party debated the dual offices of the chief minister, speaker and ministers and suggested them to quit one office, preferably the party office. However, Pervez Khattak and others showed unwillingness to leave party positions to other leaders and Imran Khan appeared reluctant to force them. That has dented the party’s support in the by-election and might cause problems for the PTI in future.

Ishtiaq Urmar, the PTI information secretary, didn’t receive calls from this correspondent to explain the party’s stance on its weak election campaign and dual offices. He also didn’t respond to a text message. Yaseen Khalil, the PTI district Peshawar president and adviser to chief minister was “in a meeting.” MPA Arif Yousaf also avoided calls.

Except Imran Khan, who delivered a curt address at a rally in Peshawar on August 18, no other leader was able to hold public meeting to drum up support for the weak candidate, thanks to dual offices. If there was any interest of Pervez Khattak and Asad Qaiser, it was in their native districts where their close relatives were contesting election. And the party won those two National Assembly seats.

An effective election drive would have compensated for the wrong decision to award ticket to a controversial and unknown person. The award of ticket pushed the party into irreversible chaos. “The estranged real workers who were so dejected by the party decision that they didn’t come out of homes,” Zahid Hussain said. He urged Imran Khan to give respect to the ideological workers and engage them in party affairs.

The provincial leaders allowed divisions within the party to develop over the nomination instead of rectifying the decision. And worse, these leaders further estranged the competitors for ticket by heaping scorn on them instead of winning them over. The PTI provincial leaders ignored the dissidents, many of whom were old party leaders.

Once the unchangeable decision of awarding ticket to Gul Badshah was made, his election campaign was the next important stage. But the party leadership appeared to have surrendered in advance. The PTI failed to run an effective campaign for the by-election the way it did in the May 11 general election.

The party appeared complacent, probably because of the record votes Imran Khan had bagged in this constituency on May 11. The PTI created a wave in the general election through an aggressive campaign as election vans drove in streets playing party songs, ‘tabdeeli razakar’ intruded people at homes, in shops, streets and all other places to persuade them to vote for Imran Khan.

Spirited young workers took out boisterous processions to catch people’s attention and to create an environment of victory before election. Youngsters, irrespective of party affiliations, were impressed so much that they exhibited unswerving passion that pushed them to start unsolicited and unplanned electioneering.But all this was missing in the PTI’s election for by-polls. It was surprising to see that the PTI had no camp offices outside many polling stations in the by-election.

Of the keenly observed polls and people's disinterest

Delawar Jan

PESHAWAR: On May 11, just three and a half months ago, voters formed long snaking queues to participate in election, but that sight was missing on Thursday during by-election on NA-1.

The inflow of voters, both male and female, was consistently thin. At polling stations visited, not a single line of even two or three voters was witnessed till 1pm, an indication of low turnout. On May 11, people waited in lines for a long time for their turn but on August 22 it was the polling staff that waited for the voters. “In general election, I had to wait for 45 minutes to cast vote. Today, it took me only five minutes,” said a voter in Faqirabad.

“The polling staff inside is swatting flies,” said a police official manning gate of a polling station in Quaidabad locality of the city. “That shows voters have no interest in the process,” he added.

Inside the polling station, the booths were in place. The polling staff sat with papers in their hands, but there was no voter to cast vote. The staff had no work to do and gazed at each other faces. “Individuals come intermittently,” Presiding Officer Najma Shafiq said about voters’ inflow. The situation was: registered voters 927, polled 49, time12:01pm.

At another polling station in Bhanamari, 108 had polled out of 1,300 registered votes till 12:25pm. In the adjacent polling station number 224, only 68 votes had polled out 1,070 till12:28pm.

Election camps did not see rush. Enthusiasm for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, seen on May 11, was nowhere. Even at some polling stations, they had no camps. Spirited young voters who had created a wave in the general election did not figure in support of Imran Khan’s PTI, an apparent disillusion with the party.

“I voted for the candidate who would not forsake us, who is from this area and who can solve our problems,” said an ageing woman, draped in black burqa. PTI’s Gul Bacha was said to be an Afghan national, an allegation that came from members of his own party.

Voters and polling staff mostly expressed satisfaction over the process of election. All presiding officers interviewed at different polling stations had faced no security problem. “The process is smooth and peaceful so far,” said a presiding officer at a polling station in Wazirbagh.

No major terror incident occurred in the city during the polling in Peshawar, a city that has been the target of relentless attacks of militants. General election in May saw bloodshed in Peshawar as militants targetted election campaign, including a suicide attack on Ghulam Bilour.

Strict security measures were taken to protect polling stations. The buildings housing polling stations were corralled and streets leading to them closed to stop entry of irrelevant people. Police officials and troops were deployed in all polling stations to ensure full security to the staff and voters. Officials said seven to 10 troops were deployed in every polling station who patrolled streets near polling stations, manned entrances and watched polling staff and voters.

“We are satisfied with the security arrangements,” said Arif, an ANP activist, at Government High School No.3 city.

There were reports that troops disallowed journalists, particularly photographers and cameramen, to enter polling stations at some localities. “We have no issue with you but have orders from the senior officers,” a soldier explained at a polling station in Quaidabad. A senior photographer went from polling station to polling station in the hope to take a shot of a voter casting vote.

He was not allowed and got frustrated. No officer was at polling stations to explain why media was being stopped from covering the process as ECP said journalists could visit polling stations. “I was stopped from entering the polling station in Mohalla Khudadad. A soldier told me ‘you can talk to people outside’,” said a reporter. However, some photojournalists managed to take snaps inside the polling stations.

A woman voter railed against the Election Commission of Pakistan for providing wrong information about vote. “In four polling stations, I failed to locate my vote,” said Anbareen Gul in Bhanamari.

PTI govt moves to allow citizens right to information

Delawar Jan

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is planning to run a campaign for raising awareness among the people about the recently-promulgated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Ordinance 2013, touted to be ranked 3rd best in the world.  

The Ordinance makes its obligatory for 32 provincial government departments to provide information to a requester, who could be any citizen, and hands punishments to officials obstructing right to records or destroying information.

The Ordinance that requires to be passed from the provincial assembly within 90 days of its promulgation does not ask requesters to justify request for the information.

“The Ordinance makes the request easier. The requester does not need to fill out a prescribed form and only needs to demand information on a simple paper,” said Secretary Information, Azmat Hanif Orakzai, who was author of the draft at the first workshop on the Right to Information (RTI) at Peshawar Press Club after its promulgation on August 13. “If a person is illiterate, a designated public information officer is required to write the application for the requester,” he said, adding the World Bank had given 143 points to the law out of 150 that ranked it 3rd best in the world.

It is free of cost, under the Ordinance, to seek information from any of the government department. “The request would also be entertained through phone, email and mail,” Hanif Orakzai said.

Clause 2 of the 32-clause Ordinance says that the law would cover secretariats of the chief minister and governor, secretariat of the provincial assembly, members of the assembly and the assembly itself, any office, board, commission, council or any other body established under the law and any department or attached department of the government.

Subordinate judiciary, tribunals, any body which is owned, controlled or substantially funded by one of the above, including enterprises owned by the province and any other body which undertakes public functions would be subject to RTI.

However, the RTI excludes Peshawar High Court from the ambit of this law, which concerns civil society members working on RTI.

“The government will launch an awareness campaign to ensure people in Dir, D.I. Khan, Hazara division and other remote districts make use of it. We will translate the draft of the Ordinance into Urdu, hold seminars and publish supplements in newspapers and involve media to propagate it,” Hanif Orakzai said.

Under the Ordinance, any public body would be bound to provide information in 10 days that could be extended to a maximum 20 days. However, information that could protect the life or liberty of any individual should be provided within two days.

Requester could appeal to the four-member ‘Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Commission’ if public body failed or refused to provide information. A retired senior government official appointed by the government would head the commission while a lawyer nominated by the Bar Council, a retired judge appointed by the Chief Justice of PHC and a representative of the civil society with nomination coming from Human Rights Commission would be its members, known as commissioners.

The commission would dispose of the request within 60 days, with the proof of burden on public body. The commission enjoys the powers of civil court and would be authorised to summon and enforce attendance of witnesses and compel them to give oral or written evidence under oath. The only commission based in Peshawar could ask public bodies to produce documents and could examine information.

Importantly, if the decision of the Information Commission is not obeyed, it would constitute contempt of court. The commission could also impose a daily fine of up to Rs.250 to a maximum of Rs.25,000 on any official who willfully prevents or delays the disclosure of information to a requester.

The chief information commissioner and commissioners would be entitled to remuneration and other benefits equivalent to a judge of the high court.

Clause 28 makes it an offense if access to information is obstructed, information commission’s work interfered or record without lawful authority is destroyed. The Ordinance also provides protection to whistleblower, which many appreciate as extraordinary.

Aftab Alam, executive director of Institute for Research, Advocacy and Development (IRADA), hailed the law as ‘a right step in the right direction’ but said they had some concerns. As a matter of principle, he said, RTI should not have been introduced through an ordinance but enacted in the provincial assembly, where PTI had majority.    

“Peshawar High Court should be brought under the RTI, along with all other constitutional bodies. I think the definition of ‘public body’ needs to be broadened,” said Aftab Alam. “What about the discretionary funds of the governor who is all and all of Fata?” he asked.

Aftab Alam pointed out the definition of the ‘requester’ was also flawed as a requester was only a citizen, excluding companies and organisations. 

He suggested the members of the Information Commission should be appointed by a bi-partisan committee of the assembly, not by other bodies and individuals. He said the fine on disobeying official should be made proportionate to the officials’ salaries as value of the rupee would decrease in coming years.

He appreciated that exemptions were specific but crticised the “provided that” portion that contains six sub-section. “It could be misused. I think the first para of clause 14 was sufficient,” he added. However, Aftab Alam lauded protection to ‘whistleblower’ and said such protection was rare in the world.

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Imran promises 'change' to take place in KP

Delawar Jan 

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Sunday that his party had started the process of change from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where PTI is spearheading the provincial government and resolved to show the countrymen the promised change.

He said he would expand the “change” to the whole country once his party had succeeded in KP. Imran Khan visited Peshawar to address an election rally to muster support for the party candidate on NA-1, the seat vacated by Imran Khan himself. PTI has fielded Gul Bacha on NA-1 to face the Awami National Party stalwart Ghulam Ahmad Bilour in the by-election scheduled to be held on August 22.

Imran Khan’s party has been feeling extreme pressure regarding its promised change from people, politicians and the media. The party has come under public scrutiny as people have been demanding of the party to act on the change agenda and honour its promises it had claimed would take only three months in power. Apparently, the cricketer-turned-politician and his inexperience team in KP government are finding it difficult to impress the people with its performance. KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had promised the people would notice ‘change’ by August 30.

Imran Khan is also confident. He said God had succeeded him every time in his endeavours and had faith that he would succeed this time, too.  

“Future holds good luck for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and PTI,” he added. He said the change agenda had been started in the province and people would soon feel it. He said PTI government in KP was working on an independent Ehtisaab Commission that would hold everyone to account. He said all those who had looted the nation would be made to cough up the looted wealth. With an apparent reference to Maulana Fazlur Rahman, he said neither diesel permits would be issued nor jobs would be sold now.

He boasted the PTI government would show others by example how to deliver good governance.  He added that his government would tap all natural resources in favour of the province and produce low-cost electricity to light the whole of the country. The PTI chief said his party had been working to bring reforms in health and education sectors in the province.

He said right to information law would enable people to have access to information. In this regard, Imran Khan attended a ceremony to launch policy on it. He asserted that the PTI government would follow conflict of interest principle in an effort to bring transparency in governance. However, his words were inconsistent with his action. In Ramazan, he ignored calls for an inquiry in a contract allegedly awarded to an advisor’s brother for supplying free iftari to patients and their attendants at hospitals.

Once again he reiterated his promise to discourage politics of inheritance. However, his party leaders managed to get tickets for their relatives on seats they had vacated. Imran Khan was undisturbed and unmoved to stop violation of his own principle. Instead, he justified. Chief minister has already been accused of electing three women relatives on reserved seats for women.

Imran Khan asked people to vote for Gul Bacha, the PTI candidate on NA-1. He urged people to come out in great numbers from homes the way they did on May 11 for him. He said the youth should turn up at the polling stations by 7 in the morning to cast vote. PTI has been divided over the award of ticket on NA-1 and one of the dissidents is contesting against Gul Bacha.

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Of Malala Day and silence of PTI government

Delawar Jan
PESHAWAR: The provincial government dominated by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chose to remain indifferent on Friday when the United Nations celebrated the 16th birthday of Malala Yousafzai, a Swat girl shot in the head and critically wounded by Taliban last year. Many people saw this lack of interest another attempt by the Imran Khan-led PTI to please Taliban, and censured the party for being ‘afraid’ of the militants.

“They [leaders of PTI] are afraid even to utter Taliban’s name in a condemnatory statement. And tribute to Malala would have been condemnation of Taliban,” said Nighat Orakzai, a Pakistan People’s Party lawmaker in the provincial assembly. “Taliban-fearing PTI KP government doesn’t have guts to celebrate Girls Education Day to praise a daughter of [the] soil, Malala,” tweeted one Asad Qureshi.

The world leaders hailed Malala’s struggle and described her ‘the bravest girl in the world.’ British Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted that Malala delivered “a powerful message.” But, her countrymen and her province’s government led by PTI could not find a single word to praise this icon.

The provincial government did not hold a single function to pay tribute to the young girl who was targetted for speaking up for girls’ education and opposing Taliban in the Taliban-ravaged Swat valley. The government functionaries did not even issue a statement in favour of Malala and her struggle as she received standing ovation from the Youth Assembly for her courage and the words she delivered there.

“A strong and positive message should have gone to the world from this province in favour of the brave Malala,” Nighat Orakzai said. “But we sent a negative message that we are supporters of Taliban, that we will not talk against them and that we will not condemn them,” she added, describing Malala “our daughter.”

She said PTI government was not serious in fighting terrorism. She recalled that a minister trivialised the terrorism threat that had taken lives of thousands of soldiers and civilians by saying that hepatitis was a bigger threat than terrorism.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government version could not be taken as spokesman Shuakat Yousazai’s cellphone was switched off. However, a minister who requested to stay anonymous said the government did not have any idea about the Malala Day as it had not been approached to mark the day. He said he was not mandated to offer official viewpoint of the government about its policy regarding Malala. To a question, he said the provincial government could not disown her as the national icon even if it would want to do so.

The PTI government in KP was not alone in ignoring Malala Day. There was a complete blackout of Malala Day in Pakistan at the government level, which many said shamed them. The federal government in Islamabad is run by Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-N which is also accused of having soft corner for militants.

People through social media in Pakistan condemned the federal and provincial governments for blacking out Malala Day. A tweet from Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif said Malala’s speech was for ‘global consumption.’ He was criticised for the tweet, which forced him to delete it.

Afrasiab Khattak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president of the Awami National Party, tweeted that he couldn’t see the Pakistan delegation at the UN when Malala was speaking to the youth. “Interestingly, one couldn’t see any member of Pakistan’s diplomatic team at [the] UN yesterday. Had they boycotted the event? Any information on this?” his tweet said.

Imran Khan might have realised that they had ignored Malala and tried to do some damage-control as he dropped a message on Twitter on Saturday evening to praise her. “Malala’s courage and commitment to the cause of education, especially girls, is admirable,” he said. The message was followed by rhetoric. “PTI government in KP is paying special attention to education needs of girls and extra facilities for women teachers.”

ANP was the only political party that held ceremonies in Peshawar and in Malala’s hometown, Mingora, to mark the day. Malala was shot when ANP was in power, but it defended the teen and never showed reluctance in taking on the Taliban.

To hell with Imran's vision: PTI leaders promoting dynastic politics

Rhetoric works more than actions

Delawar Jan

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and Speaker Asad Qaiser are allegedly lobbying to obtain party tickets for their close relatives on National Assembly constituencies they had vacated, sources in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said.

The chief minister is the PTI’s central secretary general and speaker the provincial president and both have say in the party. Khattak won the National Assembly seat, NA-5, in his native Nowshera while Qaiser clinched victory on NA-13 in Swabi. Both the PTI leaders had also succeeded on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly seat from their native districts.

They chose to vacate the National Assembly seats in order to secure key positions in the provincial government that is being led by PTI. Khattak retained PK-13 to secure the coveted office of the chief minister while Qaiser kept PK-35 to take hold of the office of the speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

Now both the leaders are allegedly trying to get party tickets for their close relatives, according to sources. An insider said Pervez Khattak was lobbying to secure party ticket for NA-5 for his nephew, Imran Khattak, who is also his son-in-law. Asad Qaiser is allegedly using his influence to field his brother, Waheed Khan, the insider said.

Qaiser did not respond to calls and a text message to give his version. Similarly, Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, the PTI provincial secretary general and government spokesman, ignored calls and a text message that asked for his party’s viewpoint on the issue.

Imran Khan, the PTI chief, has been taunting and criticising other political parties, particularly the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-N for promoting dynastic politics in the country. In his election rallies, he promised with people to discourage dynasties but leaders in his party are promoting this practice with no, or little, reaction from him. “This is disturbing. This is not the party we wanted and these are not the principles we stood for. Now, we even cannot face people as we have been doing things we vociferously opposed,” said a PTI leader, requesting not to be identified because it could cause trouble to him.

In reserved seats for women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Pervez Khattak was alleged of promoting his female relatives, including his sister-in-law (wife of brother). “She (Pervez’s sister-in-law) even doesn’t live in this province,” said an insider. “Workers feel disillusioned. Everything we had dreamt for is tearing into pieces in front of our eyes, which is unbearable for us,” he said.

Another leader, who also preferred to remain anonymous, said Imran Khan was contradicting his own words. “When he was awarding tickets in Islamabad, he clearly told us that he would expel parachuters and leaders’ relatives who are given positions due to relations,” the leader said. “Imran Khan knew Pervez Khattak had submitted papers for three of his female relatives on reserved seats, but he ignored and also did not listen to complaints from workers,” the leader added.    

Several PTI workers were aspiring to get party ticket on NA-1 in Peshawar, and it appears the name of Gul Bacha has been finalised. PTI leaders did not respond to calls to confirm or deny it. However, when central spokesperson Shireen Mazari was asked whether she confirms the award of ticket to Gul Bacha, her response was a half yes. “This is the sense we have but we will have to wait and see when election schedule is announced,” she said in a text message.

Gul Bacha was one of the few leaders in Peshawar who led Imran Khan’s election campaign. However, some of the PTI activists said he was controversial. “He is an Afghan national but has managed to make legal documents in Pakistan,” a leader said, wishing anonymity as the comment could invoke party’s disciplinary action.

The allegation could not be confirmed immediately. What was learnt was that Gul Bacha had contested and won election for union council nazim in Peshawar in 2001.

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Jailed Maulana Sufi Muhammad falls ill, rushed to hospital

Delawar Jan

PESHAWAR: The jailed chief of the proscribed Tanzim Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammad (TNSM) Maulana Sufi Muhammad was rushed to the Lady Reading Hospital the other day after he complained of pain in his urinary system and knees, hospital sources said.

The aged cleric was brought to the LHR in strict security and was escorted back to the Central Prison Peshawar, where he has been incarcerated for four years, after treatment. Sources said shifting of Sufi Muhammad was kept secret and even the hospital administration did not know about it. According to sources, his health problems deteriorated in jail and doctors there advised that he should be taken to LHR for treatment.

They said the jail officials wanted him admitted in the hospital but doctors refused because it could become a security threat to the hospital. Besides being the founding chief of the TNSM, he is the father-in-law of the reclusive Maulana Fazlullah, a militant commander who held sway in Swat and other districts for two years from mid-2007 to mid-2009. He is now hiding in Afghanistan’s Kunar province and is responsible for deadly cross border attacks.

The sources said doctors also disagreed to keep him in the hospital because his condition was not so serious and his treatment could be continued in jail.

“He was brought to the general OPD where doctors on duty treated him,” an official of the LHR said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. “He was complaining of problem in urine and pain in knees,” he added.

The octogenarian Sufi Muhammad has a frail body. He was operated for prostate in March 2008 when he was languishing jail on charges of taking thousands of armed volunteers to Afghanistan in 2001 to fight against the US.

The LHR official said a surgical doctor advised him ultrasound for his urinary pain. “There was some problem in his urinary system and the doctor prescribed him medicines for one month. He will be checked again after one month,” the official said.

An orthopedic specialist examined his knees and took an X-ray of knees. He advised him physiotherapy for a month and prescribed some medicines for the same period. “He looked fine,” the official said when asked whether his health has deteriorated.

Sufi Muhammad has been facing court trials on charges of treason. He was arrested in April 2009 when he spoke against democracy, the constitution and superior courts at a rally meant to bring peace. Sufi Muhammad struck an agreement with the Awami National Party-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and secured his release in April 2008. He took upon himself the responsibility to persuade his son-in-law, Maulana Fazlullah, Taliban commander in Swat, to lay down arms in return for the implementation of ‘Shariah.’

Sufi Muhammad encamped in Timergara, Lower Dir’s headquarters, and pressured the government to announce implementation of ‘Shariah.’ In Feb 2009, the government agreed to accept his demand after which he ended his peaceful protest in Timergara and went to Swat to talk Taliban out of the fighting. He led peace rallies in Swat but could not succeed in bringing calm to the valley. On his failure, the government launched military operations in his native Lower Dir, Swat and Buner simultaneously. One of his sons, Kifayatullah, was killed during the offensive and several others were arrested along with Sufi Muhammad.

The cleric has already languished jail for 11 years on charges of terrorism and treason. His TNSM, founded in 1989, was outlawed in 2002.

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