LANDI KOTAL: Wilson Wazir, 45, is the first member of minority communities from tribal districts, who made it to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on a reserved seat through his hard work and dedication towards the cause of his community.

He topped the list of minority applicants submitted to the three-member parliamentary board of the ruling PTI for selection of candidates for the lone reserved seat for all the seven tribal districts keeping in view his educational qualification, his contribution in the social sector for his community and above all the national award of Pride of Performance, which he received in 2015.

Wilson Wazir, a Christian from Landi Kotal of Khyber tribal district, had only recently joined PTI. He was awarded the ticket by the party parliamentary board without any hesitation.

Wilson Wazir says social work was his passion from young age

The four-room government servants quarter in Landi Kotal Degree College residential colony that Wilson

Wazir shares with his two brothers Nadeem Wazir, a teacher, and Younas Wazir, a government employee (sweeper), gave a festive look when the announcement about the award of party ticket was made with relatives, friends and well wishers converging at the small compound and celebrating the event.

And like always, Wilson Wazir kept his cool while wearing a modest smile on his face and exchanging pleasantries with visitors.

He has a small family with Nadeem and Younas having two children each while Wilson is still issueless despite four years of marriage. Their father and mother had died few years ago. The four-room quarter was allotted to his late father some 30 years ago as he too was an employee (sweeper) at the college and since then it has been occupied by the family.

Wilson Wazir has a master degree in chemistry and had also done MEd with a teaching experience of over 10 years.

“It was my late mother’s desire that I study and take my education to the end,” he told this scribe while sharing the sage of his journey from a teacher to a social worker and then becoming member of the provincial assembly.

“Social work was my passion from young age. I started taking part in such activities after doing matriculation,” he said.

Wilson Wazir along with some other members of the minority community recently won the right of acquiring tribal domicile for the minorities. He was among the few minority members, who were awarded ‘Lungi’ by the erstwhile political administration of Khyber some three years ago in recognition of his ‘tireless’ services.

He said that minorities living in the erstwhile Fata were not entitled to local domicile, they had a very limited quota in government jobs and had no private residential colonies in any tribal agency despite living in the region for over a century.

“I always thought that we the minority community could achieve our objectives and raise our voices to fulfil our needs only when we actively participate in politics and make it to the legislature,” said Wilson Wazir.

He added that the recent merger of tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa paved the way for the fulfilment of his personal desire.

He said that he could make a difference by highlighting the issues of minority communities that were in dire need of official attention. “I faced a host of challenges and also earned criticism from different quarters whenever I raised voice for our community but I never lost hope and always kept my cool while operating as a low profile social worker,” he added.

“Minorities living in the tribal districts needed their separate worship places, graveyards, community centres, residential colonies, increase in employment quota, better education and health facilities and cremation places (Shamshan Gaat) for Hindus,” he said while explaining the list of his priorities he was to present in the assembly.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2019