Pakistan’s youngest MNA: Ali Rashid

By Sana Zehra

Ali Rashid breaks all the clichés we have of what a politician looks like. The youngest ex MPA of his tenure at the Sind Assembly & now one of the youngest MNAs, stylish, poised and well put together are some of the many adjectives that I think of when I look at this dashing young man.

Ali has achieved so much at such a young age; he’s a lawyer by profession and currently a consultant for all the major multinational companies in Pakistan because of which he is also one of the highest tax payers in the National Assembly. Most of all he’s an impeccable human being as many tell me.

The first time I met Ali Rashid was at a get together and he introduced himself as just Ali, and not with his title at that time that many were proudly introducing themselves as.

So here is Ali in the hot seat for GT.

So Ali Rashid what’s your story?

No story as such. I’m just a common man with some ideas and dreams of wanting to make Pakistan a better place and doing my bit.

having studied from the Karachi American School and then doing law from London, people from your circle usually stay away from politics. Why politics and why the MQM?

It may sound cliched but I always wanted to make a difference by doing something for the country. All the parties are breeding grounds for family/dynastic politics. The only party which doesn’t have that and promotes on merit is the MQM, a party in which having wealth and a political linage are not prerequisites. I have been fascinated by the founder and leader of MQM, Altaf Hussain who founded a major political party at the age of 25 and by the time he was 31 his party was ruling Karachi, Hyderabad, etc. with Mayors, Senators, MNAs, MPAs. He never took any public office himself nor did he give one to his family members. All these things are admirable. In this day and age, many can talk the talk but very few can walk the walk.

“There should be rule of law and no one should be above the law. The law should be the same for the poor, middle class and the wealthy. If the traffic warden stops a guy on the motorbike for not stopping at a red light, he should do the same to a person in an S.U.V. or a Merc”

There are many presenting issues about women in Pakistan what is one issue that is very close to your heart and why?

Domestic violence, honour killings, rape, harassment, etc. I feel all of these issues are close to my heart and need immediate attention of the government. As men, we should respect women. A man is born through a woman, he is raised by a woman, he falls in love with a woman, marries a woman. I am surprised at the man who doesn’t respect women.

With three titles under your belt (lawyer, consultant and politician) which one do you enjoy being/practicing the most and why?

I don’t consider myself a politician. I prefer being called a political worker. Politics is something I enjoy the most because it is very fulfilling. Nothing feels better than being there helping out the poor and the downtrodden people. You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.

I read a very interesting paper by Omar Ayub Khan where he has suggested that MNAs should focus on the real job that has been assigned to them by the constitution once they are out of the “district council syndrome” and  not be entitled to funds or any developmental projects regarding Sui gas, electricity etc. What would you like to say about that?

I agree with him. It’s the job of the third tier of the government to do these things i.e. local government. Unfortunately, in our country the lust for power prevented the provincial governments to have local bodies elections although it is part of the Constitution. Finally, we will have a Mayor in Karachi and things will change for the better. We shall make Karachi clean and green like we did last time we had the Mayorship.

“I’m very accessible. Our leader has taught us that a position in the MQM is a responsibility, not a privilege. I am very active and responsive on social media. I interact with my constituents and the general public on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and there have been many instances where I’ve resolved their issues without them having to physically come to my office. Having said that, I have a walk-in MNA office in my constituency. Anyone can come to see me without a prior appointment and it’s on a first come first serve basis, we don’t have a parchi culture where important people get to jump the line”

What do you think are the underlying causes of violence in Pakistan?

Illiteracy, unemployment and more than anything else, disregard for the law. There should be rule of law and no one should be above the law. The law should be the same for the poor, middle class and the wealthy. If the traffic warden stops a guy on the motorbike for not stopping at a red light, he should do the same to a person in a SUV or a Merc.

There is a misconception about you that whereas other MQM workers and MNAs like Haider Rizvi choose to sit on the floor, you maintain a distance from the common. Would you like to shed some light on that?

As the question states itself, it’s a misconception. I am a commoner myself, hence, cannot distance myself from the common. It’s just I prefer to stand than sit. If you ever visit me at my office or see me at events, I’m always on my feet, walking around, rarely sitting.

Do you believe in falling in love more than once? Do you believe in monogamous relationships or is polygamy something you favour as well?

I believe love defies reason or logic hence anything is possible. But yes I am a strict advocate of monogamous relationships. If it’s not working out, end it and move on, then you are free to do whatever you want.

What song best describes Pakistani politics

Sab ganda hai per dhanda haiyeh. (Everything is dirty and a profession.) Doesn’t apply to the MQM of course.

Being in your position, having everything going for you, I am sure you attract a lot of attention from the opposite sex. How do you handle it?

(Smiling) I don’t know what you are talking about.

What is one misconception people have about you.

Apparently, that I don’t like sitting down on the floor, according to you. Haha!

If you were to become one superhero what would you become.

Superman. Although I will have a very difficult time changing into my superhero outfit due to the lack of telephone booths in Karachi.

You took a selfie while resigning your seat. Were you really that happy tendering your resignation?

It was just a selfie, I didn’t get why the channels had to show it as breaking news and play selfie songs in the background. It was not about being happy. But yes I wasn’t sad either. Positions mean nothing to us. The pretext of resigning was that we were not being able to deliver to the masses due to hindrances created by the government, so we were not interested in ceremonial positions and decided to resign.

How honest are you?

As honest as one can be in a given situation.

What item is in your closet that you wear the most

My pjs, I change into them as soon as I get home, even if I’m only home for an hour or two.

What is on your nightstand?

I get to read a lot of non fiction material because of the field I’m in. For leisure I read mostly suspense thriller novels. Dan Brown, Harlen Coben, Lee Child, James Patterson, Simon Kernick, Paulo Coelho, etc. are a few of my favourite authors. I’ve read every single book of these authors.

If you were to hire a fashion designer to make your whole wardrobe who would it be and why?

Maybe Giorgio Armani. I think Pakistan has a lot of talent. Some of the Pakistani designers are doing a fantastic job such as AsimJofa, Deepak Perwani, HSY, Nomi Ansari, Amir Adnan, Zari Faisal, HumayunAlamgir, etc.

People generally have this misconception about Parliamentarians that they are difficult to meet. How accessible are you to the general public?

I’m very accessible. Our leader has taught us that a position in the MQM is a responsibility, not a privilege. I am very active and responsive on social media. I interact with my constituents and the general public on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and there have been many instances where I’ve resolved their issues without them having to physically come to my office.

Having said that, I have a walk-in MNA office in my constituency. Anyone can come to see me without a prior appointment and it’s on a first come first serve basis, we don’t have a parchi culture where important people get to jump the line.

What do you think about Mustafa Kamal’s comeback?

No comment.

Stylist: Rao Ali Khan

Hair & styling: Clippers for men

Photography: a.bilgrami studios