ECP urged to take action over low female voter turnout

PESHAWAR: The Aurat Foundation and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on Status of Women on Wednesday demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan to take disciplinary action in the areas where female voter turnout was less than 10 percent in the general election 2018.

The demand was made at a joint press briefing by Shabina Ayaz, resident director, Aurat Foundation, Neelam Toru, chairperson Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on Status of Women.

They asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take disciplinary action against the political parties which did not comply with the provision of the Election Act, 2017 about allocation of 5 percent general seats’ tickets to women.

The Aurat Foundation and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on Status of Women (KPCSW) also demanded that the parliament should review the Election Act and remove ambiguities, especially with regards to Section 9(1) and Section 2016 of the Election Act, 2017.

They questioned the criteria for nominations of women on reserved seats by the political parties and demanded that there should be proper policy of the nomination of women on reserved seats for national and provincial assemblies.

Both the Aurat Foundation and KPCSW shared the data of women participation in the election 2018.

Shabina Ayaz said the data was collected during the implementation of “Creating Support for Women in Election 2018” project supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governance Project, extending financial and technical support to the Aurat Foundation to enhance KPCSW’s understanding of electoral system and Election Act, 2017.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Aurat Foundation and KPCSW’s for the implementation of the project to enhance KPCSW’s and District Committees of the Status of Women (DCSW) understanding of electoral system and Election Act 2017. The project was implemented in Peshawar, Swabi, Kohat and Bannu.

As per the data, 17 women candidates contested general election on general seats for National Assembly, but none has succeeded in the election. However, the PPP’s candidate Asma Alamgir, former advisor to prime minister, got 24002 votes in the election on NA-27 Peshawar, and remained closed to rival male counterparts.

Others are Nazira who contested election from NA-1 as independent candidate and got 681 votes; Sobia Shahid of PML-N from NA-7 secured 1256 votes, Nargis Ali of PML-N from NA-13 obtained 588 votes, ANP’s Iffat Kalsoom from NA-15 got 183 votes, PSP’s Nusrat Anjum from NA-15 obtained 377 votes, JDP’s Samin Riaz got 819 votes from NA-15, ANP’s Irum Fatima from NA-17 got 2592 votes, PPP’s Shaista Naz from NA-17 secured 2983 votes, PPP’s Tahira Bukhari from NA-23 got 1260 votes, PTI-Gulalai candidate from NA-25 got 959 votes, PML-N’s Sobia Shahid from NA-27 obtained 3138 votes, Sidra Qayyum an independent candidate from NA-27 got 306 votes, TLP’s Yasmin from NA-31 got 430 votes, independent candidate Madiha Faraz from NA-32 got 1797 votes, PPP’s Yasmin Safdar from NA-35 got 9173 votes and Ali Begum, an independent candidate from NA-46 tribal district obtained 1365 votes.

As per the data, all the women candidates contested election on general seats for National Assembly from KP and one from tribal district received a total of 51,909 votes.

Similarly, 29 women candidates from different political parties and also as independent candidates contested the election for general seats of provincial assembly. However, no candidate managed to win the election as only three women candidates remained in close contest with their male counterparts.

PTI’s Hamida Shahid from PK-10 Upper Dir got 10, 904 votes and PTI’s Saira Khalid remained third in the contest for PK-42; while PPP’s Khaista Begum, widow of former deputy speaker Abdul Akbar, got 8569 contested polls for PK-49 remained third.

Interestingly, QWP’s Nargis Samin from PK-72 got 19 votes, which are the lowest votes among the female candidates contested general election 2018.