Kabul:
Kabul is at the cusp between history and the modernity where the burqa mingles with women in Western clothes. Afghanistan is attempting to take another step on the democratic ladder in only its second Parliamentary elections. Every inch of space on Kabul's streets is covered with campaign slogans. Unabashedly, women stare down at passerbys as much as men candidates.
Twenty five percent of Afghanistan's Wolesi Jirga - the Lower House - is reserved for women. That's 68 of the 249 seats. 406 of the over 2,500 candidates are women and one of them is an Afghan Sikh, Anarkali Honaryar.
A defaced poster illustrates the conservative society she's fighting in. A trained dentist, Anarkali wanted to be a pilot, but now she's trying to open the door to be the country's first non-Muslim woman MP.
"Whether Hindu or Sikh, in Afghanistan we're Afghans. I will work not for any one group but for Afghans," she said.
There were 50,000 Sikh families in Afghanistan in the 90s. Following Taliban rule, currently, the Gurudwara and Masjid committee estimates there are only 1200 Sikhs and about a 100 Hindus in Kabul.
Afghan Hindus and Sikhs look up to Diwan Niranjan Das who signed the declaration of Independence in 1919 and became a minister. But, there have never had a representative since 1992.
Pritpal Singh Pal was in the Afghan Army under the rule of Najibullah, 22 years ago. He retired after a leg and eye injury and went on to become a Unani doctor. He's trying to catch both the old and young vote.
Pritpal has joined Anarkali in becoming the second Sikh to run for Parliament this year. This is his motivation and his warning.
"Afghans are on the street without work; they're on the chowks. They could become bigger than the Taliban," he said.
Farzand Afghan dar khidmat Afghanistan which means an afghan offspring serves Afghanistan. This is PSP's campaign slogan as this David goes up against Goliaths in the race over 600 candidates run for 24 men's seat in the Capital.