Quetta Voters’ Interviews

John Francis
87 years old from the minority living in the rural Quetta, is frustrated by political parties and attitude of the those elected to the political office. “All political parties and leaders are liar,” the elderly man said. Francis said that during the last local government set up- when nazims were ruling the city- he visitied nazims several times for preparing birth certificate for his grandson. They refused to give me brith certificate for grandson who was thus deprived of getting a proper job, he said. The disappointed elderly Francis said he has decided not to vote for any political party or leader in the coming local government elections.

Sabir Nadeem
26, a banker by profession, said he wanted the local bodies’ elections in Baluchistan province to be held on political party basis. Holding local bodies’ elections on party bases will mobilize the youth to fully participate in the elections, he said. In case of election on party bases, Nadeem said, he would cast his vote in favor of Baluchistan National Party. He said those elected as district mayors in the past belonged to other parties and they have done nothing for the masses in both city and rural areas of the district. He said the major problem in his village Killy Kachi Bagh is the non-availability of drinking water. He hoped the new political administration in Quetta will definitely address the issue of non-availability of drinking water to the people.

(Interviews by Ghulam Murtaza)

Ahmed Jan
20, a student, believed that local body system is more beneficial for the people - specially those from the downtroden and poor community. They (LGs) have more power, authority and accessibility as for working at grass root levels. Local bodies representatives are easily available, living in the neighborhoods, to help or tackle the problems of people at village and Mohalla levels. He said the locality where he is living – Sariyab road area - the major problem is the security and law and order. The area is considered as the most dangerous area in the city with abundance of street crimes. The people in the locality, he said, will vote for a party or candidate who promised to solve the problems of law and order and street crimes.

Sikandar Ali
28, a government employee from Kechi Baig rural area, said ministers and members of national and provincial assemblies do not understand the real problems of people at the community level. He said he wanted the establishment of local body system in province at the earliest so that people’s problems are addressed at grass root level. He said his village Kechi Baig is facing acute drinking water shortage, and people would definitely expect the new district political administration to address the drinking water problem of the locality.

Muhammad Javed
37, a settler in Quetta, said he wanted to vote for Pasthoons Nationalist Parties instead of Baloch nationalists. He believed that Pashtoon politicians understand the problems of Quetta and can tackle them in better ways.

Zargoona
30, a housewife from Saryab area, said she is disappointed by the government. No government is caring for the people and its is immaterial whosoever is coming into power. The big problem for us is security. She said daily they are hearing somebody is killed or kidnapped from their locality. She wanted the new government to solve the security problem for the locality. SHe is indecisive till date to whom she would vote.

Muhammad Arshad
32, an IT Engineer, said the Local Body System can resolve the basic problems of the people. The elected people in local bodies belong to the lower and middle class. He however, feared the local govt system would cause more corruption which is not good for the country and future of Baluchistan province. He said the main problem of the locality where he is living - Sabzal Kili Ghashkoori - is the faulty sewerage system and all the drains choked completely - particularly - during rainy seasons. The people of the locality, he believed, will prefer to vote for candidates who could improve the sewerage system of in the town.

(Interviews by Noor ul Arifeen)

Irum Shahzadi
23, a settler from Punjab, would vote for a leader who would could persuade the voters by offering people friendly manifestos.

Bushra
20, from Mecongi locality, says its too easy to approach the counselors and nazims during the difficult times rather than Ministers and advisors. We can meet the Counselors and Nazim anytime we want and apprise them of the local problems easily and could forced them to resolve the issue.

Naima
24, student at Law College, said she would like the vote the right candidates in the local bodies elections. The local governments are based in the community who can be reached easily. She said she is desperately waiting for the local body elections because she knew that their problems could be easily solved by the local bodies representatives.

Amara
30, a school teacher, said she had cast her vote several times in general election and two times in local bodies election but this time she is not interested to cast her vote because no one is sincere with people. During elections times, the candidates promise many things for the voters but after elections - when they are elected - they forgot everything. She said it is a useless exercise. SHe said that in the last local body election the candidate - who later won from the union council - had promised to solve the sewerage system in the area. But he later forgot the promise the problem of faulty sewerage system is still causing probelms to the people.

Muhammmad Yunus
32, a shopkeeper, said the local bodies provide a better environment to the masses for resolution of basic civic issues. He said he would vote for political party or independent candidate who would ensure resolving their long standing issue of clean drinking water. “We have to spend a lot of money to purchase water tanker every week because our locality is not supplied water from the government tube-well,” he said. The party or candidate who wanted to get votes would have to arrange water supply to the area from the WASA tube-wells.

Dastagir
32, rickshaw driver, said the roads of Quetta city were in very dilapidated condition and no attention was paid by the previous and the incumbent government to rehabilitation of these roads. “No action is taken against the builder mafia who started digging every road to lay down pipelines of sewerage system of their under-construction plazas and commercial market. The builders did not bother to repair the damaged roads or sewerage system,” he said. He would vote for the political party or candidate who ensure rehabilitation of dilapidated roads network.