In the 1990s, when Benazir Bhutto toured Quetta city, she went to pay her respects to the dead buried at Hazara’s cemetery on Alamdar Road. At the time, Hamida Ali Hazara, who is now a candidate for the polls in July for a provincial assembly seat — in the PB-26 constituency — was only six years old. Her mother, Fatima Ali Hazara, was a well-known jiyala of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Fatima Hazara’s position in the party allowed her — and her daughter — to accompany Benazir to the graveyard. “Some other lady stepped on my mother’s foot, injuring her. She fell and cried in pain. Benazir was kind enough to pick her up herself,” reminisces Hamida.

Like most of the nation, Fatima Hazara too kept sobbing at the television as the tragic news broke of Benazir’s assassination in December 2007. Fatima herself passed away a few months later.

“So, are you running on a PPP ticket?” “No,” she said, as she looked at me with the eyes of dejected idealist. “The PPP died when Benazir left the world. If she were alive, I would be the party’s candidate.”

The Hazara community knows Hamida for her activism. She was in the news recently when she launched a restaurant run by Hazara women. Just over a month ago, Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti of the Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) reached out and offered her the party ticket. She accepted. However, when she went to submit her nomination papers, the Returning Officer (RO) rejected the application on the pretext of a somewhat insignificant detail. “The RO ridiculed me and my colleagues — other women from religious minorities like Christians and Hindus — who are candidates for reserved seats in the party,” said Hamida, just before quoting the RO, “everyone knows the JWP is not going to win, so why are you wasting our time?”

But Hamida did not give up and finally had the high court’s appellate tribunal clear her papers. Now, she’s working on the uphill task of her campaign. In her manifesto, she speaks of empowering women — particularly focusing on Hazara women — which has become a contentious agenda among conservative members of her own community. According to Hamida, several people have accused her of ‘misguiding’ Hazara girls. “I do not understand the logic of all this. I established a business — the restaurant — so that Hazara girls could earn a decent living and stand on their own two feet.”

“And, as for the elections — I am contesting to show my community that they have political rights. We, the Hazaras, have always been secular and progressive. People all over the country, and in different parts of the world, must know what we stand for.”

Some other lady stepped on my mother’s foot, injuring her. She fell and cried in pain. Benazir was kind enough to pick her up herself.
Hamida Ali Hazara

In Quetta, over the last twenty years, the Hazaras have had to bear the brunt of sectarian violence. Some observers argue that due to the targeted attacks on the community, the people have themselves radicalised in response and want reprisals. Hamida, however, does not agree. “There may be a handful of individuals who may not conform to our worldview, and are damaging our place in society, but as a whole, we are a peace-loving people.”

There is no doubt that the Hazaras are one of the more educated communities in Balochistan. And, they are also a daring people. Despite being vulnerable to terrorist attacks, they — including the women — have started to mobilize. “The violence has taken everything from us. We have no jobs, we have nothing to fall back on, and there are no facilities for our community. If we do not stand up to represent ourselves — who will?” said Hamida.

Hamida has volunteered as a polling agent in past elections, and her male colleagues have had good words about her work ethic. But she is concerned about how some people have reacted to her running for public office. “Many people question why, and if, there is a need for a woman to do so.”

“Yesterday, one of my male colleagues asked me why I, as a woman, am taking part in the elections?” she said grudgingly. “I married the man I loved, and people objected to that as well. But I’m happy that many of those who detested me for it, have come around and have realised that they were wrong. I hope that one day, they will see my candidacy for the election similarly. They will realise they were wrong to oppose me based on my gender.”

In Balochistan, women have a limited role in politics — a domain traditionally dominated by men. And breaking away from such established norms — however unfortunate — is not easy. In fact, even women who are elected members of the provincial assembly, complain of men sharing jokes at their expense.

Many people have accused Hamida of pulling off a publicity stunt by announcing her candidacy, arguing that she’s doing it to make a personal gain — perhaps to further her career as an activist. Several have argued that she moved from an activist to a restaurant owner, and now finally to being a politician — only to raise her stock as a fighter of the ‘oppressed.’ But Hamida claims that she couldn’t care less.

“I am not bothered about the negativity. But I would like to say that women from all communities ought to get involved in politics. It is a fundamental right. If we all speak out together, we can make a difference.”

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2018