As the elections draw closer, the clangour and the din created by the political players grows louder and louder. Like spoilt children they ensure that all the attention stays focused on them and all other voices are drowned out — so much so that most of us forget that the elections are primarily about the people and their voice. The ordinary people, the faceless and the unidentifiable, who vote in a bid to control their political, economic and social destiny.

Hence, in its pre-election special, the Herald brings its readers the voices of a few citizens, providing a window into their lives and their environs. And the selection was made not randomly but by identifying the constituencies of the former prime ministers of the country — Benazir Bhutto, Zafarullah Khan Jamali and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. One would like to think that people here have better access to basic facilities, that they have a voice that does not go unheard. You would think those elected to power in these constituencies pay due respect to those who voted them in. On the following pages are the places and the people whose representatives were the first among equals. Read on to see how the constituents of the country’s most privileged politicians live…