Pakistani Tribal Woman First to Seek Public Office

Jakarta Globe, Mudassar Shah, May 5, 2013

Despite intimidation and criticism, former housewife Badam Zari is determined
to represent Pakistani women in parliament. (Photo courtesy of Asia Calling)

Bajaur, Pakistan. As Pakistan gears up for its elections next weekend so too does Badam Zari, the first tribal woman to run for Pakistani parliament.

Zari hails from Bajaur, a stronghold for the Afghan Taliban, Al Qaeda and other Pakistani militant groups, and a battleground between the army and insurgents.

Despite threats and criticism, the 45-year-old is determined to represent the voices of Pakistani women.

“I watch the situation in my country on TV deteriorate every day,” says the housewife. “I decided to run for the election even though I don’t have any qualifications.”

Zari can’t read or write, but under Pakistani law that’s not a problem.

“My husband told me that there is no need for qualifications, because I have my intelligence,” she says, “I have the willingness to serve both the men and women from my area and my country, better than others if I’m given the chance.”

Zari is running as an independent candidate from Bajaur in the Federally Administered Tribal Area. Another tribal woman running for the same seat has withdrawn her candidacy after receiving threats from the Taliban.

Her husband Sultan Khan, the headmaster of a local school, supports Zari’s decision to run for parliament.

As an educated man, he wants to see reforms in Pakistani society. He says he supports his wife because she always advocates for the rights of those in need.

“Initially, our plan was to raise awareness of the rights of deprived men and women and the election was not our target, but it is a means to achieving our aims,” he says.

Khan says that during the campaigning they have seen that many people are deprived of basic rights such as education, health and means of communication.

“We will raise these issues at every opportunity,” he says, “whether the powerful hear us or not.”

Pakistan’s tribal area is an ultra-conservative region, where women are uneducated and not allowed to leave home without their husbands or a male chaperone.

According to a popular Pasthu saying “women either live inside a home or a grave.”

But Zari promises to be different.

“I am uneducated but I know the importance of education so I’ll focus on the education and health of women in the area if I get elected,” she says.

Other candidates have started their campaigns by putting up posters and billboards all across the city.

But Zari is poor and can’t afford her own campaign. So she goes door to door to convince people to vote for her.

She’s been lucky to enlist the help of Javed Khan who works at the local medicine store.

One of Zari’s keenest supporters, he has started campaigning for her and tries to convince anyone that visits his shop to vote for her.

The 22-year-old says that women will know about their rights if Badam Zari wins the election.

“We have elected men for many years but nothing has changed,” he says. “They have done nothing for peace in the area and there is no change in our lives. We’d like to give Badam Zari a chance this time.”

There are 1.8 million people in Bajaur, and nearly 700,000 of them are women.

According to the constitution, 70 parliamentary seats are reserved for women and religious minorities — but none specifically for tribal women.

Aurangzeb Inqelabi is the president of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party. He acknowledges that Pakistan is a democratic country but condemned Zari’s decision to run.

“It is not a suitable time for her to run or to win the election,” he says. “She can’t come out of the house and it’ll be difficult for her to present her manifesto or to ask people to vote for her, so I wonder how she’ll get votes.”

Taliban militants have warned they will attack any political campaigns that they disagree with. So far Zari hasn’t received any direct threats, but her ideas on education and women’s rights make her a target.

But that isn’t stopping her.

“I’m running for the election with a passion, with a clean heart and a clear conscience,” she says, “I haven’t done anything wrong so I don’t feel threatened or afraid of anyone.”

This article was first broadcast on Asia Calling, a regional current affairs radio program produced by independent radio news agency KBR68H and broadcast in local languages in 10 countries across Asia. You can find more stories from Asia Calling at www.portalkbr.com/asiacalling.