Making 10 percent voting by women compulsory to create complications for ECP, Senate body told

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday told Senate's Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs that the Commission would face complications if legislation was made for making 10 percent voting by women compulsory for valid election in any constituency. The committee decided to invite election laws experts in its next meeting to discuss the Bill moved by Senator Sherry Rehman for making 10 percent voting compulsory of women in a constituency and to find way out to avoid any complication for the ECP in future and to propose suitable legislation.
The committee met with Senator Saeed Ghani in the chair at Parliament House on Tuesday. Senators Mir Israrullah Khan Zehri, Sherry Rehman Mst. Gul Bashra, Maulana Tanveer-ul-Haq Thanvi, Nehal Hashmi, Hilal-ur-Rehman and Secretary of ECP participated in the meeting. The committee discussed a private member's Bill titled as "The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2016".
ECP Additional Secretary Muhammad Fida told the committee members that the commission would face complications and problems if 10 percent voting by women was made compulsory. He said that in recent bye-election in district Dir, women cast vote only at four polling stations out of 122. He said that the contesting candidate also made secret agreement before two days of holding elections not to allow the women to cast vote. Chairman of the Committee Saeed Ghani said that for this purpose, they wanted to put in place legislation to remove such hurdles for women.
Sherry Rehman said that they wanted legislation in this regard to encourage the women to use their right of vote. She said that stopping women from voting was damaging Pakistan at international level. Nehal Hashmi proposed that the casting of vote should be made compulsory for every citizen and especial incentives should be given to women of those areas where they face such problems.
Another official of the ECP proposed to the committee that the Commission should hold re-elections at those women polling station where the turnout of female voters was less than 10 percent. The members of the committee appreciated the proposal and said that this suggestion could be considered. However, Mir Israrullah Zehri said that what should be done if turnout of voters was less than 10 per cent at the male polling stations. The committee could not reach at any conclusion after discussion on the Bill and decided to invite lawyers who are experts of electoral laws in its next meeting to get their proposals for legislation.