LAHORE-Chaudhry Aurangzeb is a real estate tycoon and PTI leader from NA-137 Okara. On Wednesday, The Nation interviewed him about his struggles and his views about real estate and politics in Pakistan. 
Q: What is Chaudhary Aurangzeb’s view on who he is?
Answer: At this moment in time, I am a businessman, politician, and philanthropist but if you want to look into my past, then there are all those events that took place in my life. All beginning with the birth of a child in a faraway village, how he came to Lahore, studied, and attained different jobs. And how in the course of all these jobs he navigated through life by undergoing different situations is a story of its own.
Q: Having done multiple small jobs, how did you know that this was what 
you were meant to do?
Answer: I did various small jobs. You often get to see that when people get a job, they devote all their time and effort to that one job. Every person has their own built-in qualities given to them by Allah and until they discover those qualities; that person continues to seek answers. If Allah had instilled the germs of politics in me, I would not have been satisfied until I became a politician. I would remain unsatisfied, leading a purposeless life. And I believe that Allah had planned for me to become a politician, build houses, serve my country, and provide my services to the poor people even if I myself was one of the poor. When I started out by working as a waiter in a restaurant, I realized that they did not respect one’s religious obligations or self-esteem and that I should work in a literate and decent community. I worked and was able to attain a job as a clerk in a factory which gave me the flexibility to start my studies alongside. When I had time on my hands, I would use it to read books during my duty. When I completed my education and graduated, I got a job in a doctor’scollege (CPSP) which was an improvement from my previous job. I had my mother and four younger brothers who were yet to be settled and it was here that I realized that the community may have been a decent one but it was not sufficient for our financial needs. So, I continued searching and got a job at Bahria Town which was offering a good salary but then all jobs have their own problems. There are times when that salary is enough to get you through but then there are times when it does not. That is what all jobs are like. It came to my notice that there were many people who were working in the property business and it had my interest. I don’t know if it is right to claim this but I truly believe that Allah did not make me in such a way to be chained down by various things. He made me have free will. I have tried jobs of all sorts, jumping from one field to another and I believe that the thing that did not let me stay in a certain place was my free spirit and will to make decisions of my own. When I entered the property business, I never intended on staying in this field all my life but it came to my realization that this was one field where a person had the flexibility to come when they wanted to. In this business, you were the master of your own preferences. I realized, If I earn all that money and leave it behind without using it then it was for nothing. I came to the realization that our country had no one to look up to and to guide them. By Allah’s grace, I am now a businessman and when I have the time, I involve myself in politics.
Q: Have you achieved a big milestone as a politician?
Answer: Firstly, I would say that the greatest achievement while doing anything for the country is to carry out the proceedings legally. There are many illegal ways to make your way into politics. What we did was present ourselves in front of the Election Commission and obtained the requirements to organize our own political party. Then I achieved another milestone of joining PTI in 2022, it was because the PTI manifesto is exactly in line with my personal thoughts and the will of my political followers. 
Q: What are the basic problems of your constituency that you 
would like to address first?
Answer: Depalpur NA137, near my native village Kanduwal, will be my main constituency. The major problem of my constituency is poverty and illiteracy. People are unaware of the significance of their vote. So, our primary focus will be to make people understand their elective rights and responsibilities. Instead of voicing their opinions and making their own decisions, people tend to obey the higher-ups by voting for a certain political party. I want the people to gain knowledge so that they can elect their own representatives to change their fate. Our second primary focus will be on education. Since it is a backward area, therefor the educational institutions established there are not up to date with modern education and so setting up an updated educational system is on our list of priorities. 
Q: What are your top priorities in terms of the development of your constituency?
Answer: The first and foremost priority is to enlighten people about their right to vote followed by education, health, infrastructure, and agricultural facilities for farmers. We will provide loans to farmers without interest, set up solar systems for their efficient working, and give them the knowledge of how to use modern technology to their advantage. They will also be educated on which seeds they can use in order to increase the crop yield and how they can harvest more crops in lesser time. We will establish the idea of a livestock industry there and urge them to start harvesting all sorts of crops since it is primarily all agricultural land there.
Q: What would you 
say about the role of 
politics in our country?
Answer: Well, politics has a major role everywhere. It is only the name of patience. Believe me, there is politics even within households, offices, jobs, and even among siblings. No one sitting in front of me can claim that he has not been involved in politics their whole life. Every person has to face it in their life. A person that does not participate in politics becomes the most rejected person in society and then leads a life of slavery in his office, job, and in his house. To get people to obey you and to get your rights, you need to fight. And secondly, everyone has left politics saying that it is dirty. This is why we are here today because no one was willing to do it. If they had joined the political sector, the situation in Pakistan would be a lot different than what it is right now.
Q: Any message for the youth about doing business and entering into politics?
Answer: I recommend that there should be different courses related to real estate management in universities so students can learn basics and later practice in the field. I have talked about it in detail in another interview that real estate, if managed properly, can bring prosperity. We have Dubai as an example. The youngsters should prefer entrepreneurship on 9 to 5 jobs. They should not neglectpolitics; the current plight of politics is because educated youth are not participating as much as they should. Only their active participation can bring change in this country.