The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) Sunday urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to declare the result of Union Council Darora, Tehsil Upper Dir, by-election, held on Thursday, December 21, null and void as women of the area were denied of their basic right to vote. According to reports, one day before the polls, all religious and liberal political parties' leadership in Union Council Darora reached a verbal agreement to bar women from casting their votes, a press release said.
"Out of 17,201 registered voters in that area, 6,813 are women. As per agreement, no woman polled vote in elections." Chairperson NCSW Khawar Mumtaz said the commission strongly condemned this violation of basic women's right in Dir Upper. It was unfortunate that political parties from right and left school of thought agreed to stop women from casting their vote despite the fact that the result of any such election would be declared null and void under the law.
The NCSW demanded the leadership of all political parties that were part of this agreement to take notice of the situation and ensure strict measures against all those involved so that such practices were never repeated in the future, she added. She said the commission also urged women parliamentarians to take up this matter in the Parliament as well as within the party and condemn the act at every level. The NCSW believed that democratic process was incomplete without women participation, she added.