Syed Faraz Hashmi admits that his entry in electoral politics was decided by an election tribunal, when it disqualified his father, Syed Asif Hashmi, the former chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board and a member of the PPP.
“To be honest I never imagined myself to be actually contesting the elections this year,” says Faraz, 33, a lawyer who has also worked alongside his brother in a family business. “Personally for me, it is a challenge since things have happened so fast.”
But his inexperience does not seem to faze him. “I have a fairly good idea of the issues in the constituency,” he says, having campaigned with his father at NA-118 for the 2008 elections, which they lost to Malik Riaz of PML-N.
While the PPP’s election campaign in the rest of the country has been fairly low-key because of security threats, Faraz says Lahore has been safe for all candidates. “My campaign has been running fairly smoothly. I can only comment on what I am witnessing,” he says.
He is speaking to The Express Tribune shortly after learning that the son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has been kidnapped, which he describes as “shocking and worrying”. Faraz’s campaign for NA-118, and PP-138 was led by his father. Every day during the campaign, they took to the streets of the constituency for corner meetings and political gatherings.
“My father is doing all the major campaigning, including addressing the people,” he says, candidly. They repeatedly remind voters that his father ensured the removal of the toll plaza at Shahdara.
The constituency, he says, has the highest rate of hepatitis in the city and the provision of safe drinking water is vital. If elected, he says, he will also improve the sewerage system and roads in the area, and tackle poverty by creating jobs. “There is a high rate of unemployment here. People need to be given skills and employment,” he says.
Malik Riaz of the PML-N, the winner here in 2008 and running again this time, did little for the people of NA-118, says Faraz. He is also critical of the Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate. “What youth representation are they (PTI) talking about? The PTI candidate contesting from this constituency is Hamid Zaman!” he exclaims.
The PPP is the only party actually trusting younger candidates in Lahore, he says. “I am contesting against uncles,” he says, laughing.
Having younger politicians will be beneficial for the country, Faraz says. “This time it is going to be a youth-based parliament, unlike the traditional compositions we have had previously.”
“My ideology is to serve people. This is something which resonates with the PPP ideology,” he adds.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 11th, 2013.