Faryal Talur is one of the three women candidates who won a NA seat from Sindh. PHOTO: FILE.
ISLAMABAD: Of the 150 women candidates who filed nomination papers for the National Assembly general elections, only six were able to win their way to the lower house.
According to election results released by the Election Commission of Pakistan and processed by The Researchers -- a nonprofit organisation -- only three women candidates each from Punjab and Sindh won the elections on a general seat.
No women candidates succeeded in winning a National Assembly seat from Khyber-Pakthunkhwa and Balochistan, according to The Researchers.
The three successful women candidates from Punjab, Sumera Malik, Ghulam Bibi Bharwana and Saira Afzal Tarar, all belong to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) while the three winning candidates from Sindh - Faryal Talpur, Fehmida Mirza and Azra Afzal Peechu - were contesting on a ticket from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
Only 60 of the 150 women candidates were running from a political party’s platform. ECP data examined by the The Researchers revealed.
National Assembly | 2013 | ||||
| No | Province | Constituency | Name | Party | Votes |
| 1 | Punjab | NA-69 Khushab I | Ms. Sumaira Malik | PML-N | 118,108 |
| 2 | NA-88 Jhang (Jhang Cum Chiniot) | Ms. Ghulam Bibi Bharwana | PML-N | 87,002 | |
| 3 | NA-102 Hafizabad I | Ms. Saira Afzal Tarar | PML-N | 93,013 | |
| 4 | Sindh | NA-207 Larkana IV | Ms. Faryal Talpur | PPPP | 83,916 |
| 5 | NA-213 Nawabshah I | Dr. Azra Afzal Peechu | PPPP | 111,667 | |
| 6 | NA-225 Badin II | Dr. Fahmida Mirza | PPPP | 110,684 | |
Source: The Researchers
For the provincial assemblies, only 10 of the 313 women who filed nomination papers from 213 constituencies will sit in the legislatures for the next five-year term.
Out of the 10 women, eight belong to Punjab while one candidate each is from Sindh and Balochistan.
No woman won a seat to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa assembly in election 2013, according to ECP results processed by The Researchers.
All eight successful women candidates in the Punjab Assembly are from the PML-N.
The one woman on a general seat in the future Balochistan Assembly is also a PML-N ticket holder.
One PPP woman candidate, Saniya, won from PS-109 Karachi to be a part of the next Sindh Assembly.
Out of the 313 women candidates for provincial assemblies, 115 were party ticket holders while the remaining 198 were independents.
Provincial Assemblies | 2013 | ||||
| No | Province | Constituency | Name | Party | Votes |
| 1 | Punjab | PP-34 Sargodha III | Dr. Nadia Aziz | PML-N | 33,744 |
| 2 | PP-53 Faisalabad III | Ms. Iffat Miraj Awan | PML-N | 44,018 | |
| 3 | PP-78 Jhang II | Ms. Rashida Yakoob | PML-N | 42,194 | |
| 4 | PP-88 Toba Tek Singh V | Ms. Nazia Raheel | PML-N | 36,622 | |
| 5 | PP-101 Gujranwala XI | Mohtarma Riaz Amanat Ali Virik | PML-N | 24,413 | |
| 6 | PP-116 Mandi -Bahuddin | Ms. Hameeda Waheeduddin | PML-N | 52,712 | |
| 7 | PP-185 Okara I | Samina Noor | PML-N | 26,621 | |
| 8 | PP-206 Multan III | Ms. Naghma Mushtaq Lang | PML-N | 43,050 | |
| 9 | Sindh | PS-109 Karachi XXI | Ms. Saniya | PPPP | 53,926 |
| 10 | Balochistan | PB-26 Jaffarabad II | Ms. Rahat Jamali | PML-N | 12,521 |
Source: The Researchers
COMMENTS (8)
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In KP women didn't contest because of the security situation, otherwise I assure you they have more than their fair-share of respectable, educated and sophisticated women. I can name quite a few women in KPK who could win from their respective constituencies, but many have no interest in politics. Also, I should remind everyone that the first-ever elected female official in Pakistan was also from KPK; the renowned Begum Nasim Wali Khan who ran the NAP and later ANP also. The ANP and PPP this time gave tickets to many women to contest on regular seats in KPK - both provincial and national. In Balochistan, also, the security situation played a role in keeping women away from day-to-day politics. Finally those lauding the PML-N, PPP or whatever for putting up women candidates should focus on their stances rather than their gender. Granted, yes, work needs to be done in this regard throughout Pakistan but only in a manner that reflects our values; not the way they do it in Western countries.
I am not surprised. Pakistan's backward areas don't even let women vote. How can they vote for a woman? Nonetheless, I am proud of the women form these areas who ran for election. Siddique Malik, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Women are considered as minor in most muslim countries including Saudi Arab. As Pakistan is also a muslim country we should also adopt this policy. This will make women look younger and will make them happy.
I think so we should pay more concentration on QUALITY as compared to QUANTITY.We should get some lesson from our past, we have experienced most Literate and Fake degree holder women.Sorry, i am not against women's empowerment , but i am more concerned about the future of our country and image of our women on foreign states.
While PMLN's record shows tickets on merit, PPP's women MNAs-elect are all either the sisters of Co-Chairman Asif Zardari or wife of Zardari's childhood friend Zulfikar Mirza. On the other hand we are all aware about Imran Khan's view about women when he was MNA in 2006. Results speak for themselves!
Women are not considered intelligent in muslim countries.
Statistics of winning women candidates highlight that PML-N is working for women empowerment. Women representatives will definitely raise raise voice of the progress of women in assemblies.
obvious misogyny in all sane societies al these women should won..