Women representative of civil society organisations have said that some political parties had failed to allot, at least, five percent of general seat tickets to women and asked the Election Commission of Pakistan to clear the ambiguity about status of such political parties in general elections. They stressed the need for maximum participation of women in the electoral process.
Resident Director of Aurat Foundation, Ms Shabina Ayaz, told a press conference that the Election Commission of Pakistan had asked the political parties to allot at least five percent of general seat tickets to women in order to get electoral symbols.
But, she said that as per data of the Election Commission of Pakistan, the Pakistan Muslim League Eagle group had allotted 4.9 percent of general seats tickets to women candidates, followed by Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek allotted 4 percent, while the Qaumi Watan Party allotted only 3.2 per cent of general seat ticket to women candidates. She astonished that Tehreek-e-Labaik Islam had allotted zero per cent general seats ticket to women.
She regretted that despite the violation the ECP code of conduct, the commission had allotted them the electoral symbols, so it should explain about the status of the political parties in the general elections. Similarly, she said that the political parties had fielded women candidates in those constituencies wherein the parties didn't get success in the past two general elections, which has put them the women voters in a difficult and challenging situation.
Flanked by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on Status of Women Chairman, Ms Neelum Toru, women rights activist, Saima Munir, Amina Durrani and others. Ms Shabeena said they had made a demand to ensure allotment of at least 10 percent general seats tickets to women with condition to field women candidates in those constituencies wherein the political parties would become victorious in the elections. But she said their demand didn't accept.
She urged the Election Commission to take pre-empt measures to avoid harassment incident of women as well as it should take all possible arrangements to prevent inconvenient to female voters on the polling day. Earlier, speaking on the occasion, KPCSW chief, Neelum Toru informed that the provincial women commission and Aurat Foundation had entered into an agreement to support women's participation in four districts of the province, including Peshawar, Kohat, Swabi and Bannu.
She said that the Aurat Foundation would extend technical assistance to KPCSW to constitute committees on status of women under article E-8. She explained the committees will help women in the targeted districts. Ms Shabeena Ayaz said that her organisation is determined to use the opportunity to ensure women's participation in a maximum number in the upcoming general elections.
She informed that training sessions would be conducted for members of KPCSW, DCSWs and civil society organizations to enable them to monitor pre-election activities, as well as improve knowledge about the importance of women participation in the electoral process.
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