67,000 Upper Dir women cast votes in 2018 elections

DIR: Women voters turned election's results in favour of candidates in various constituencies in the Upper Dir as over 67,000 women exercised their constitutional right after almost four decades as they did it last time in the 1977's general election.

The women voting was banned in the district with the mutual agreements among the political parties including both religious and non-religious parties in elections due to quarrels at various polling stations on women voting in the 1977 election. These parties were making verbal agreements before every election to stay away women from exercise of their right.

However, after the bold decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) declared 10 per cent women vote mandatory in each and every polling station or else election would be declared null and void on those polling stations.

The decision paved the way for the women voting in the district and after long time and for the first time women were seen came out of their homes to cast vote in favour of their favorite candidates. A total of 67,995 women polled votes in the national assembly seat of NA-5 out of 179,280 which is 38 per cent of the total women voters. Women showed great enthusiasm in casting votes across the district and even in the hilly areas women also came out of their homes to polling stations in a great number.

In PK-10, total of 22,594 women casted vote similarly in PK-11 total 21,372 and PK-12 total of 23,777 women casted vote which are a very high per cent even as compare to those areas in the province and country where women have been exercising of casting vote regularly. The political parties this time also ran a campaign for women voting and they organised workshops for training and educating them about how to use vote.

All the day, on polling day, political parties' supporters and leaders were seen bringing women to polling stations in vehicles. The women votes also increased turnout up to 45 to 50 per cent which had remained hardly 25 to 30 per cent in the past general elections due to not having of women voting. Women votes changed the results and those candidates who got maximum women votes won the election.

Hameeda Shahid, a woman candidate of the PTI from PK-10, Upper Dir-I, contested election on the general seat for the first time in the history of the Upper Dir. It gave courage to women who came out of homes and cast vote. She secured total of 10,904 votes and stood third in PK-10.

The women voters' enthusiasm of exercising their constitution right and woman candidate direct contest election changed the entire scenario of the district. It would encourage women to contest elections in future as well.