Pakistan

PML-N, PPP, others served notice over failure to ensure female representation

Elections Act 2017 states at least 5% of candidates selected for general seats have to be women

Our Correspondent October 03, 2018

Aseefa Bhutto Zardari campaigns for her brother before July 25 elections in NA-200. PHOTO:TWITTER@MediaCellPPP

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday issued show cause notices the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and other political parties, including the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), for failing to ensure the required representation of women on general seats.

Section 206 of the Elections Act 2017 calls for political parties to ensure at least five per cent of candidates selected for general seats are women. This is in addition to the seats reserved for women.

Voting trends reveal decrease in number of women winning on general seats

Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, Pakistan Rah-e-Haq party and Tehreek-e-Labbaik were also served notice for failure to award “five per cent tickets to female candidates”. They were given fifteen days to respond.

The Aurat Foundation in July came down hard on the ECP for going against its own rules by allotting election symbols to political parties that failed to give a single party ticket to female candidates.

Aurat Foundation Resident Director Shabeena Ayaz said that many political parties did not hand out tickets to five per cent women candidates as per the ECP rules.

“Parties such as the Tehreek-e-Labbaik have doled out tickets to all male candidates and not even a single ticket has been given to a woman,” Ayaz added.

She said that the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) gave party tickets to 88 men and only three female candidates. Ayaz further added that the Pakistan Muslim League-Eagle (PML-E) awarded tickets to 154 male candidates and eight female candidates.

WAF lauds women’s participation in July 25 polls

Similarly, the Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek had awarded 240 tickets to male candidates while only 10 have been allotted to women.

Ayaz lauded the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for awarding 6.2 per cent tickets to female candidates, similarly, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) awarded 5.1 per cent to women.

She added that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) gave 5.7% party tickets to women, while the Awami National Party (ANP) distributed 6.9 per cent to women.

The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) gave 5.3 per cent party tickets to women candidates with the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) giving 7.5 per cent tickets to females.

Ayaz also criticised the political parties awarding tickets to women only to “fill in the blanks”, as well as, giving them tickets in areas where the likelihood of winning is low.