ECP orders pre-emptive action to counter women disenfranchisement

PESHAWAR: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed the district returning officers, returning officers and deputy commissioners of Malakand division and that of Bajaur tribal district to take preemptive action against the candidates’ and political parties illegal jirgas and influential persons who have signed agreements for disenfranchisement of women in the general elections being held today.

“I am directed to refer to the letter of Tahira Abdullah, ECP accredited election observer 2018, human rights defender received agreements through email, forwarded to ECP therein illegal jirgas of candidates/political parties and other local influential persons have already signed the agreements on stamp papers to bar women from voting in their districts today in Malakand division in general and Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Bajaur and Malakand in particular,” the provincial election commissioner Pir Maqbool Ahmad issued direction to the officials concerned.

The provincial election commissioner told the officials concerned that disenfranchisement was an offence provided under chapter 10 of the Election Act, 2017. As per explanation to Section 9 (1) of the Act, if the turnout of women voters is less than 10 percent of the total votes polled in a constituency, the commission may presume that the women have been restrained, through an agreement, from casting votes and may declare, polling at one or more polling stations or election in the whole constituency, void. “It is emphasized that special measures may kindly be taken to avoid any such infamous and illegal agreements barring women from casting votes on the polling day,” the election commissioner asked the district returning officers, returning officers and deputy commissioners of Malakand division and Bajaur district.

The provincial election commissioner also contacted thedistrict returning officer and deputy commissioner (district monitoring officers) Swabi and Battagram after the media reports that women might not come out from homes in some conservative parts of the districts to cast votes, which might affect the overall turnout.

The commissioner asked the officials to probe and address the issue, saying special measures should be taken to avoid any such infamous and illegal agreements to bar women from casting votes on polling day.

The ECP had received a report from the Trust for Democratic Education and Accountability, a non-government organization working on election monitoring. It had pointed out that elders and candidates were going to ban women voting in various areas which were named as well. The provincial election commission later set up Women’s Complaints Desk to hear the complaints and take action immediately.