[PT Election Cell] Candidate Profile – Zulfiqar Ali Murad

by Riaz Sumairi

Zulfiqar Ali Murad is a new entrant to the political arena. Young and buoyant, Murad is highly optimistic of winning the elections. He was granted PPP’s ticket for the constituency GBLA 5, Nagar 1. Mr. Murad is currently doing his Masters from NUML Islamabad where he has reportedly frozen his fall semester to contest elections.

Though Mr. Murad is himself quite inexperienced, his family however is no stranger to politics. He is son of Mr. Qurban Ali a senior leader of PPP Gilgit-Baltistan who was one of the founders of PPP in Gilgit-Baltistan. His father passed away in August 2004 few months after he lost the elections of that year and the mantle, hence, was passed on to him (youngest of his three sons).

Mr. Qurban Ali was a towering figure of high stature in the politics of Gilgit-Baltistan. He commanded high degree of respect among his friends and foes alike. He was a genuinely kind person. He was elected to NALC many times and was once a federal advisor to Ms Benazir Bhutto when she was in power. Mr. Qurban Ali’s legacy is the cheif strength as well as weakness of this energetic contestant. His admirers today argue in favour of his son, while his detractors point fingers and argue that Mr. Qurban Ali did nothing for the constituency which however is not unchallenged.