PESHAWAR: A horde of people, including clean-shaven men, teenagers and grey-bearded men, start gathering as soon as news of the arrival of an election candidate spreads in the village like wildfire.

“People just come out when they hear he has come just to have a glimpse,” a local independent source in North Waziristan.

Last time, advocate Mohsin Javed Dawar was in Mirali to support the Youth of Waziristan in its protest against target killings in North Waziristan, Dawar was expelled by the political administration after imposing a three-month ban on his entry to his hometown through the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) in early June this year.

However, Dawar won the legal battle and became the first to not only challenge but also get the MPO order cancelled by the Peshawar High Court after North Waziristan tribal region’s merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He was given a hero’s welcome when he returned few days later for campaign as an independent candidate in the NA-48 constituency.

Earlier, he was conveniently forced to leave the Awami National Party’s which he had been associated with since his student days.

This time around, he returned as an independent candidate to carry the fight for the rights of the militancy and extremism-affected people of North Waziristan tribal region.

However, the road was not an easy one. Earlier, due to his political and social rights activism, he was cautioned at times and threatened in very subtle ways to discourage him from doing what he was doing or risk being labeled as ‘traitor’.

The local observers say Dawar’s decision to contest election as an independent candidate was bold but he was faced with a tough fight ahead in general election scheduled for July 25 as he would be facing both invisible and visible challenges like contesting against the rich and traditional maliks fielded by the mainstream political parties. His opponents included those who had commercial properties fetching millions of rupees rent from Islamabad and Dubai and there were those who had strong traditional maliks’ backing.

Mr Dawar, who was busy until late night looking in motor bargains on Ring Road, Peshawar, for a secondhand vehicle before embarking on his election activities in North Waziristan, didn’t think money or the lack of it could be a hurdle in his campaigns.

“I had worked hard in Australia for some years and spending my savings in election activities is like buying a vehicle,” he said making light of the allegations of being a foreign agent for his social and political activism at one forum.

Back in North Waziristan amid election fever when other candidates are throwing money around to attract voters, it is other way round in his corner meetings, local sources said.

“Other candidates give their workers money to arrange lavish tea and confectionary to win over voters but it is the locals coming to attend Mohsin’s corner meeting, who donate for his election activities,” said an independent source based in North Waziristan.

Many local residents believe that there are around 35 candidates, including those of mainstream political parties and independents, contesting for NA-48 seat but the real contest is expected between Mohsin Javed Dawar and Malik Aurangzeb Khan contesting on the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf ticket.

Malik Aurangzeb Khan, who had joined the PTI just two months ago, is a well-off candidate. Dawar, who did not accept PTI chairman Imran Khan’s invitation to join the party, is going to be fighting on not just political fronts but local hard realities are also a hurdle for him.

He had been decrying that his supporter’s movement was restricted during election campaigns, while there were curfews, with vehicles carrying his posters often being stopped at many places for checking.

“I am concerned that if the checking continues, it will deter my voters, especially women from reaching polling stations on election day,” Dawar said.

Haneef, a youngster from Shewa, North Waziristan, said there were many candidates to choose from but honestly if they could not introduce themselves in hometowns, how they would raise voice for people in the National Assembly.

“Those people would vote for Dawar who have lost lives and businesses in past years and want peace. They want to vote for him because he is vocal and can voice their issues in the national assembly,” he said.

The youngster said there was nothing left in North Waziristan as it had seen so much loss due to militancy and military offensives against militants.

“All we want is a voice in the National Assembly,” says the youth of North Waziristan.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2018