ECP summons heads of several political parties to explain shortfall of women tickets

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has summoned leaders of several political parties, including Jamat-e-Islami (JI) and Awami National Party (ANP), over their failure to allocate at least 5% of party tickets to women candidates.

The ECP issued notices to heads of Jamat-e-Islami, Awami National Party, Balochistan National Party (BNP), Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), and 10 other political parties for not adhering to the legal requirement.

Under Section 206 of the Election Act, political parties are mandated to field a minimum of 5% women candidates for general seats in the National Assembly and provincial assemblies.

The party leaders have been asked to appear before the ECP on September 4 to address the issue.

The notices highlight the ECP's commitment to enforcing gender representation rules and ensuring compliance with electoral regulations.