(UPI trained reporters how to link voters’ problems to the promises of candidates and how to ask follow up questions. The exercise was practiced in a news conference of a candidate for the upcoming local government election: Senior Editor)
Muhammad Iqbal Zehri, Former chairman district Mastung and a candidate for the position in coming elections:
Opening Statement: Local Governments are the base for democracy in the country. Problems of people – whether big or small – need to be resolved at local and grass root levels. The representatives of the local government are commonly belonged to the lower and middle classes and usually stay in the villages. They understand the people problems will as mostly they are also suffering the same while living in villages and towns. Education is top on my agenda. More and more children will be enrolled. The problems of water scarcity and related health are no doubt there which would be tackled on priority bases. Sewerage system in Mastung is in very bad condition and he will take this issue on priority bases to make the city clean and neat.
Questions: You said Enrolment of children in schools will be your priority. Would you like to tell us What will u do specifically to do that?
Answer: I will conduct visits to each and every village and towns. I will request the tribal elders, locally elected representatives and community leaders to extend help in the enrolment of out of school children to the local government. I will try to remit the small fees besides creating awareness among the parents to send their children to schools. I will also financed children from my own pockets and funds from the government kity.
Question: How many kids will you support from your own pocket?
Answer: I will manage 40 to 50 students from own pocket and also encourage other to do it on self help bases. I will struggle to achieve the target by also requesting the provincial and federal governments to assist the local government in achieving hundreds percent enrolment in the district.
Question: Any Time frame?
Answer: By maximum one and half month will be enough for me to address this issue.
Question: Sir the Law and order situation in the district is the worst at the moment what y will do to improve this?
Answer: Law and order is national level problem. The whole province and even the country is facing this problem. I will start addressing this problem by creating awareness among the people. Currently, the Target killing is a major issue so if people keep an eye on the target killers and kidnapping and inform the government in time I think we can address it to a maximum level. During my last tenure as member of district governed we address this issue by keeping permanent liaison with the police and administration. We also keep a close check on the police and FC mobile teams and their check points to ensure they are performing their duties well. I feel that Target killing, thefts, dacoits are the main problems in law and order fronts.
Question: What will be the Time frames to address the law and order: Can you promise big change in a month or two particularly in addressing the problems of thefts and dacoits.
Question: You said you will create awareness. How will you do that?
Answer: In the local government system people are elected from grass roots levels. And they are in the better position to create awareness at grass roots levels. However, we will also engage the local tribal and community elders in creating awareness among the people against target killers, kidnappers and dacoits. We also use mosques and schools for the purpose.
Question: How will you influence the powerful tribal elders and chiefs?
Answer: Look the law and order is everybody problem. It affect everybody whether wealthy or poor. I will definitely consult all and assure them that providing a peaceful environment to the people is the responsibility of the government and everybody shall play a role.
Question: Corruption at the district level departments is a very common phenomenon. How you will address this issue?
Answer: Again corruption is national issue. We need to elect good people to various tiers of governments if we wanted to end corruption. Alone the government can do nothing it’s a collective responsibility and collective disease. However, we can handle it by taking a start from ourselves If we offer good example then bureaucracy will definitely follow. We have already reduced the corruption during our last tenure though there was much opposition from the bureaucracy.
Question: The district is facing a Health; problems how u solve them?
Answer: Yes health problem are very common. If elected I would ensure the doctors attendance in the hospitals. You all know that currently out of 28 to 30 doctors hardly four or five are performing duties the rest are permanently absent from hospitals. We will ensure residential and security facilities to the doctors and then ask them to perform duties in hospitals. If they do not respond then legal actions will be taken against absentees doctors in consultation with provincial administration.
Question: There is no ambulances facility in Mastung; patients expire on way when refer to hospitals?
Answer: This would be my top priority to provide ambulances to all the hospitals. I can manage some form district funds but I will also request to the provincial and federal government and the NGOs to helo the district government in purchasing ambulances for the health facilities. It will take three to four months to ensure ambulances facilities in the hospitals.
Question: Sewerage system is very bad what you will you do to improve the same?
Answer: Yes this is a major problem in the entire Mastung district. We will do our best and take the improving sewerage system on priority bases. Villagers and communities will be involved in improving the drainage system as the government can’t do it alone. However, the sewerage system will only be improved once the water supply is ensured. There is problem of underground water. Water is available at more than thousands feet deep in the water.
Question: You said education is your priority; what do you feel is big issue in education department that needs to be addressed immediately?
Answer: Yes Education will be my top priority. I am not satisfied with the current state of education. However, the main problem is the Teacher absenteeism teachers are not doing duties. I will ensure the teachers attendance in schools. I will first look into the teachers genuine problems and after addressing them I would ensure it that teachers perform duties regularly. There would definitely protests from teachers union. This is unfortunate that whenever the government takes actions against the non performing teachers, the union come forward and put pressure on the government not to take any action.
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