PPP fields retired counterterrorism police officer for PS-95

Farooq Awan, a retired counterterrorism police officer hailing from the Sarki village in the Soon Valley of Punjab’s Khushab district, is contesting the February 8 general elections on a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ticket for the provincial assembly’s PS-95 constituency in Karachi.

“I’m entering the field of politics for the first time,” Awan said while talking to The News, “and the decision of victory or defeat lies in the hands of Allah Almighty. I’m hopeful I’ll succeed.”

Commanding great respect in the police department for his honesty and bravery, he had joined the Sindh police in 1982, and his first posting was at the Aram Bagh police station as an assistant sub-inspector. Throughout his 38-year service, he was posted at various police stations across the city.

Most notably, he served in specialised units related to counterterrorism. For 10 years he served in the Anti-Violent Crime Cell, eight years in the Special Investigation Unit and three years in the Anti-Terrorism Wing, fulfilling his responsibilities everywhere he was posted.

He decided to take early retirement from the Sindh police in 2018. At the time of his retirement, he held the position of SP Investigation South. He was among the few officers who despite being demoted due to out-of-turn promotions were later reinstated to their positions based on seniority.

He was part of a select group of police officers actively working against terrorism. He has been involved in several high-profile terror cases in his career and conducted operations against various hardcore terrorists. Due to his bravery, he was also awarded Sitara-e-Shujaat and Hilal-e-Shujaat.

This dedication made him a target for terrorists. He faced multiple attacks during his service, with the major incidents occurring in Sohrab Goth, Gizri and Quaidabad. These attacks resulted in injuries to the general public.

“In Sohrab Goth I was attacked while attempting to rescue Indian actress Juhi Chawla’s uncle Satish Anand, a producer who had been kidnapped by Taliban,” he remarked.

“In Gizri I was targeted when I was on my way home, and a bomb planted in a vehicle was remotely activated, resulting in the death of two bystanders. At the time of the Quaidabad attack, I was serving as the Clifton station house officer.”

Turning to politics

Awan said that although his family background is political, his extensive career was primarily in the police department. Despite his elder brother Shahadat Awan being a senator and a senior PPP leader (as well as a Pakistan Bar Council member), the former police officer was never active in politics.

After taking early retirement, however, he got involved in politics during the by-elections for the National Assembly’s NA-249 constituency. PPP leader and former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari called him and tasked him with winning the constituency for Qadir Mandokhel.

The PPP candidate had lost in the previous general elections, and the chances of him winning the same constituency in the by-polls were next to impossible.

But PPP’s top leadership assigned Awan the responsibility to secure the party’s win in the NA-249 by-elections, so the former police official organised the PPP workers and turned Mandokhel’s impossible win into a definite victory.

“With Allah Almighty’s blessings we achieved success in that endeavour,” Awan explained. “After this I started receiving continuous tasks from Zardari sahib and the party leadership.”

He then participated in election campaigns in Karachi, Lahore and Kashmir, working to secure victories for PPP candidates. This pattern continued in the local government elections, and he continued to ensure success.

Recognising his performance, the party leadership then granted him a ticket for PS-95 because he emerged as the brains behind the PPP’s various election victories across the country.

PS-95 is the same constituency where the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Raja Azhar had won in the 2018 general elections by a margin of around 10,000 votes. The total number of voters in this constituency is 132,000.

Regarding his experience in his new career, Awan feels like he has now completed his PhD in politics. He is going up against candidates belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the PTI, the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in next month’s polls, yet he is hopeful of his win.

“I believe that the ground circumstances indicate a victory for me, according to our calculations. The residents of Korangi should wait until February 8 because there are going to be many miracles.”

He said that the challenges in Korangi are not merely for him, and that he does not feel like a stranger in the area. Addressing PPP supporters in Korangi’s Zia Colony during his election campaign, he told them that he is familiar with every street and neighbourhood due to his active participation in the LG elections while conducting a thorough campaign there.

“I believe I have a deeper understanding of the issues in comparison to others,” he stressed. Awan pointed out that the PPP has now entered Korangi, indicating a significant political development.