Assistance sought over denial of women to vote

ECP has been stopped from notifying results in two UCs

LAHORE: Lahore High Court on Wednesday sought assistance from Asma Jahangir and Shahzad Shaukat in a petition seeking a fresh election in two union councils of Sargodha on grounds that women voters were prevented from exercising their constitutionally guaranteed right to vote.

The hearing was adjourned till January 21.

At a previous hearing, Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan had stopped the Election Commission of Pakistan from notifying election results in the two constituencies (UC-34 and -35) till a decision was reached in the petition. He had sought replies from the district- and the provincial- election commissioners and the district returning officer concerned.

Justice Khan observed that every Pakistani would be upset if women in a constituency were deprived of their right to vote. He said the matter was of grave concern. “The court cannot dismiss such a petition merely on technical grounds,” he said.

Petitioner Sheikh Mukhtar, a resident of one of UC-34, had submitted that there were 3,656 women registered as voters in the UC. He said none of them was allowed to cast a vote. He said this was unlawful and against the spirit of democracy. He requested the court to set aside the election in the two UCs and sought directions for the authorities concerned to hold a fresh election in the two UCs.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2015.