Election campaign gains momentum in Chitral

Dawn, Aug 5, 2001

By Zar Alam Khan Rizakhail

ELECTIONEERING for the fifth phase of the local bodies
poll, scheduled for Aug 9, is in full swing in Chitral.
As the polls are being held on a non-party basis, inter-
ethnic, clan and region-based loyalties will overshadow the
outcome of the race.
There are over 1,000 candidates for the 432 councillor
seats in 24 union councils of the district. For 24 nazims and as
many naib nazims, over 50 pairs of contestants are in the run,
though a number of them have returned unopposed in the Garam
Chasma valley. Besides, about 250 women candidates are vying on
their reserved seats.
Local political bigwigs have already started preparing
ground for the last showdown in the contest for the district
Nazim's slot later on.
They include the former minister of state for tourism in Nawaz
Sharif's first tenure, Shahzada Mohiuddin, and Zulfiqar Ali
Bhutto's one-time provincial minister, the septuagenarian Qadir
Nawaz, who has once again gone on a foray after remaining in the
political wilderness for more than two decades.
The newcomer to challenge the experienced politicians is
a former post master-general of the province, Sardar Ali Sardar
Aman.
The Shahzada has also fielded his son for a union council
nazim in Chitral and one of his close relatives, Shahzada
Sikandarul Mulk, is contesting for the nazim of Mastuj UC.
The regional rivalry between Mastuj subdivision and
Chitral will dominate the contest for the district nazim and
the only candidate from Mastuj, Sardar Ali, will have a
tough time from his opponents, belonging to lower Chitral, who
may bury their political hatchets to ally against the
bureaucrat-turned-politician if the political tide tilts in his
favour at any stage.
About 52 per cent of the people live in Chitral and the
rest in the most backward Mastuj subdivision. This area has seen
political deprivation in many forms: its district status was
reduced to that of a subdivision and during the Zia period the
only seat of the area in the provincial assembly was also
abolished.
A former princely state, Chitral, with a population of about
32,000, is inhabited by three types of clans, according to the
census report of 1998: Adamzadas, Arbabzadas and Faqir Miskeen.
The Adamzadas have eight sub-groups -- Katur (the
ex-ruling family), Khushwaqte, Rizey, Khaniye, Mohammad Bege,
Sangale, Khushamatey and Burushe.
Moreover, the following clans are important for their
political clout: Zondray, Khoshe, Bayike, Atam Bege, Dashmane,
Sheghniye and Khoshalbege.
The district, with an area of about 14,850 kilometres, is
sparsely populated and none of the clans is concentrated in any
particular constituency. Because of this, there has never been a
compact clan-based political alliance.
Most of the influential clans have always been the
traditional supporters of the Katur family led by Mr Mohiuddin
since his debut in the national politics during the Zia era.
The PPP leader, Qadir Nawaz, belongs to the most numerous
Rizey clan and may put a damper on the vote bank of the Shahzada
but there are indications that the latter may withdraw in favour
of Mr Nawaz to ensure that the most important seat of the district
does not go to the subdivision.
The newcomer from the Mastuj subdivision has, besides others,
the strong backing of his Zondray clan and he may get support of
the councillors in the Garam Chashma valley.
Besides, a large number of contestants among the much-
scattered commoners are in the run this time.