Winning a grass-roots political campaign in Pakistan or anywhere else depends on having committed, hardworking volunteers. Iftikhar Ali Mashwani, an aspiring provincial lawmaker, has come to realize that his supporters are neither.
"When I go into the villages and the fields, I should see my flags on the roadsides and rooftops. I should see my posters. And I don't," Mashwani, a furniture salesman, chided followers gathered in his small lumberyard in northwestern Pakistan. "This campaign is not up to the mark!"
Running on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Pakistan Movement for Justice) ticket headed by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, Mashwani, 35, is learning tough lessons as he scrabbles for votes against well-established foes in this largely rural area.