NA-32: Irshad Mukarar says he can bring a real change

DROSH, May 7: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) candidate for the National Assembly seat of Chitral (NA-32) Irshad Alam Mukarar has been struggling for the rights of the downtrodden for the last over one decade. Starting from the grassroots level politics, Mukarar has not only raised the issues of the people of Chitral at the political front but also rendered invaluable services for promotion of Chitral’s culture and the Khowar language. Before being selected as the president of the party’s Chitral subdivision chapter in December 2012, Mukarar  worked for nine years as the head of the QWP Drosh. He is also the president of the Muttahida Awami Committee and Grand Awami Jirga of Drosh. Mukarar has also remained the general secretary of Anjuman Taraqi-e-Khowar and is the founder of monthly literary magazine Qalamkar. Because of his untiring efforts, the sub-offices of NADRA and WAPDA were established in Drosh while the residents of the garrison town were also provided electricity from the Shishi Koh powerhouse mainly because of his efforts. In an interview with ChitralToday (chitraltoday.net), Mukarar said that corruption was the biggest issue in the district as political leaders and elected representatives instead of eliminating the menace worked hand in glove with the unscrupulous elements. As a result, the menace of corruption has not only touched the zenith in all government departments but also permeated the private sector and all segments of society. Mukarar said that Chitral was gifted with lots of natural resources and thousands of megawatts of electricity can be produced in the valley for export to even other countries. Besides, there are mineral and other resources which our political leaders never tried to exploit for the betterment of the people. He said he had decided to contest the elections with the sole objective of serving the people of the valley and resolve their issues by tapping the local natural and human resources. He said during his election campaign he visited all parts of Chitral and received overwhelming support from the people. Mukarar said that the people of Chitral wanted a change and they would support new faces to bring real a change in their lives. Politicians voted to power failed in the past to serve the people and re-electing them would bring no change in their performance. He said his party head Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao during his chief ministership sincerely worked to resolve the public issues of Chitral. It was Aftab Shepao who introduced a helicopter service between Drosh and Upper Dir to help the stranded Chitral in the winter, he added.  ]]>