Pakistan’s progressive left-wing party AWP has a clever electoral strategy: a lovely song. Listen
The Awami Workers Party urges people in ‘Chehre Nahi Samaaj Ko Badlo’ to ‘Change the rule of loot and plunder, not just faces, let us change society itself.’
Pakistan is headed for its general elections on July 25, and campaigning has reached a peak.
Over and above the speeches and advertisements, there’s a new tool in the campaign mix. The progressive left-wing Awami Workers Party has released an official election campaign song (video above) titled Chehre Nahi Samaaj Ko Badlo (Not just faces, change society).
The song is AWP’s bold declaration of resistance and a protest against the “system of oppression” and “rule of loot and plunder” that it says have reigned over Pakistan. If the lyrics weren’t plain enough, the video is studded with images of Imran Khan, members of his party Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, corrupt Pakistani leaders like Asif Ali Zadari, and visuals of the pain and strife of Pakistani citizens.
Interestingly, the song was performed by AWP’s candidate in Islamabad, Ammar Rashid, and Pakistani singer, economist and columnist Shahram Azhar. Rashid also played the guitar on the track, while the lyrics were written by Azhar.
AWP defines itself on Facebook as “a party of the working people”, which aims to bring together the struggles of marginalised groups to fight for a “democratic and socialist society” and calls for a more tolerant Pakistan, free of discrimination. Rashid told TNS that AWP’s election campaign was mostly crowd-sourced or funded by supporters through small donations.
Meanwhile, Khan’s PTI hired one of Pakistan’s most popular singers Farhan Saeed and went all-out in their own election campaign song (video below).