CHITRAL – For the first time in the country’s history, a man from the Kalash community has been nominated for a minority seat by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for a reserved minority seat in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
A list submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan lists Ravi Kumar as the top choice while Kalash man Wazir Zada has been included as the second choice of the party that steered the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province from 2013 to 2018.
Kalash community is Pakistan’s smallest religio-ethnic group and the nominated Wazir Zada is well known for his social and political services to the community. Locals say that he has passionately strived hard to bring together the Muslim and Kalash communities and for the social uplifting and infrastructural development of the region.
Wazir Zada appreciated PTI’s nomination and said the party has won the hearts of his people during the last stint.
In an interview to daily Dawn, the Kalash man hoped that if he is given a chance to be a representative in KP Assembly, he would bring to light the myriad problems the community and its near-extinct culture is facing.
Although Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is facing criticism from political quarters owing to controversial award of tickets to electables, it is also earning praise for a few selections.
The party also awarded ticket to Hameeda Shah for a provincial assembly seat from Upper Dir of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) – a region which is not only considered a stronghold of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) but from where women were not allowed to exercise their right of franchise till 2017.
