By Rimsha Ali Shah.
“Even as a student of business administration, I was aware of what I wanted to do in life: change lives – and not in the cliché term, but with actionable change through policy and legislation.”
In this month’s spotlight profile, we document the journey of Afzal Khan, an alumnus of the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP). Having worked with corporate giants like Mobilink and Relacom, Khan switched spheres and ventured in to the political arena in 2010. He talked to us about his exchange experience in the U.S. as a participant of the 2013 IVLP on “U.S. Political Process”, a cultural exchange with participants from Nepal, Sri Lanka, India and Afghanistan learning about governmental processes and the role of non-profits during a six-week exchange in January 2013.
The term “political activism” for Khan developed meaning and purpose over time. His volunteer experience with the Imran Khan Foundation during the 2010 floods, working in the worst conditions for the rehabilitation of the people, inspired him to work at the grassroots level to promote concrete change.
“My IVLP nomination came at a time when I was in search of understanding best practices in the international and regional dynamic political arena,” he explained. “Pakistan itself was close to the general elections and politics had consumed the interest of the whole country. I felt, for me as an emerging political activist, the program could not have come at a better time!”
Khan with the IVLP participants at the introductory meeting at FHI 360, Washington, D.C.
From January 12 to February 2, 2013, Khan traveled to Washington D.C., Texas, Alabama, and Oregon. He met with top administration aids serving in Washington D.C., including Eileen O’Connor, Deputy Assistant Secretary, South and Central Asia, and Alabama State Senator Mr. Arthur Orr and non-profit organizations that provided insight into the role of non-profits and the larger civil society. “In Pakistan, non-profits, I had noticed, were more involved in welfare and relief work. But in the U.S. political process, their role was bigger and they contributed to policy level changes – while making a grassroots impact.”
“What was the most intriguing aspect of the exchange for you?”
For Khan, like other exchange alumni, it was impossible to select one aspect.
Volunteering at the cash counter at a thrift store in Alabama
However, he found the participatory governance approach undertaken by City Council in Fort Worth, Texas a great example of including the input of youth in the governance process. “For me as a young leader and political activist, seeing this mechanism in action helped to understand the diverse dynamics and forces that come into play for good governance. Now, as a member of the City District Government, I want to emulate this model in my union council and benefit from the expertise of the private sector, while at the same time allowing them a stake in governance.”
While the program was centered on politics, that was not all it was about. Khan had the opportunity to experience the “rodeo” in its true element. Khan smiled when he recalled seeing the “actual cowboys in action” in Dallas, Texas. “The warmth of the South was very touching. The hospitality of the people in Huntsville, Texas is one of my most cherished memories from my IVLP experience.”
For Khan, this international exchange gave him the confidence, tools, mentors, and friends across borders he needed to pursue his dream further. “Samaj Kedi from India who was representing Muslims in his hometown, Saif-ul-Haq from Bangladesh who was heading a non-profit, Fateh Gul from Afghanistan who was the assistant to the Governor of Qandahar. Each of them had a story that inspired me and gave me the strength to follow my dream of serving people in Pakistan.”
The IVLP cohort on “U.S. Political Process”
Fast forward to 2015, Khan’s acquired political acumen through his IVLP experience and an impromptu visit to the Election Commission office before the local body elections made him realize that people were shying away from stepping up for the first-ever local body elections of Islamabad. He stepped up and contested as a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) candidate for General Member from F-10/2, seeing this as an opportunity to serve people and to put to action his political acumen.
Afzal Khan is currently serving as the elected General Member from F-10/2, UC-29.
Recalling the time of his graduation he said, “I knew I had to seek a job once I graduate. But I knew I wouldn’t settle for [just] one! Being apolitical is a luxury that we cannot afford. My plan is to play my role as a political activist and raise political activism among the youth.”
