Political parties of the country as well as its citizens have been urged to get bona fide Pakistanis, 18 years or above, registered with Pakistan Election Commission (ECP). Syed Nadeem Haider, Assistant EC, Karachi, at a session "Women Representation in Political Process," organised by Aurat Foundation said onus lies on politicians to ensure that adult citizens of country, carrying computerised national identity cards, are duly registered in the national voters list of ECP.
The ECP official responding to queries and complaints of women councillors, from all 18 towns and numerous union councils of Karachi, said Commission has a simple and effective mechanism to correct any proven discrepancy in its voters list. "Unfortunately it is only on the eleventh hour that contestants and their supporters notice discrepancies in the voters list," he commented.
The ECP official said under section 18 of Representation of Peoples' Act 1976 all Pakistanis assuming the age of 18 years and holding CNIC or NIC are entitled to get enrolled with the ECP Voters' List. Advocating need to adopt "Enrolment as Electorate" mandatory for every Pakistani, meeting the constitutional conditions, he said it is all the more important for women who are actually "empowered" once registered as the voter.
"Enrolment as electorate not only empowers them to vote, have say in decision making but also is prerequisite for women seeking inheritance in property, contesting polls - even for acquisition of driving license," said the Assistant Election Commissioner. He lamented rampant indifference of the people in general towards frequent ECP calls during process of revision of voters' list.
"We find candidates and their supporters rushing into ECP offices to get their potential voters registered once dates of elections, be they national or local bodies', are announced," observed Nadeem Haider. He said the current time could be the right time to ensure fresh enrolment, correction or rectification in the voters' list.
"There presently happen to be no fast approaching polls and no pressing engagements for ECP officials, staff who therefore may fully attend to the citizens," he said. With regard to the issue of "Bogus Votes," he said all registered voters can despatch application, with due verification, regarding demise or migration of any voter pertaining to their respective constituency.
Earlier in his introductory note, he said there were 68 lac, and 75,402 registered voters in five different districts of Karachi and these included 31 lac and 15,900 women. "To have their effective voice in the decision making procedure women need to improve their voters' registration," he had commented. Ehtisham Rana of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) discussed in detail the procedure to procure computerised national identity cards, changes if required in the same and needed corrections.
He attempted to allay reservations of women councillors and representatives present on the occasion who, however, observed certain issues to be addressed satisfactorily. Shireen Khokar, Co-ordinator, Publicity and Information Services of Aurat Foundation in her introductory remarks said Aurat Foundation, in co-ordination with Asia Foundation, has embarked upon a nine months project aimed at Mobilising Women Voters in 20 different district of the country, including five districts of Sindh.
The objective is to establish functional women councillors' group; strengthen women caucus in the national assembly; facilitate women parliamentarians and to identify legal as well as administrative barriers to women voters and women politicians.
Anis Haroon, Convenor, Aurat Foundation - Sindh, urged women councillors to mobilise women citizens and help them empowered through the power of votes. Later the councillors and women representatives of different political parties also came forward with their respective proposals to streamline and strengthen women right to vote, at all levels, in the province.
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