Jirga decision: G-B parties slam women voting curb

Top JUI-F leader says if candidates object to the decision women will be allowed to exercise their right to vote

ISLAMABAD: Gilgit-Baltistan political parties have termed barring women from casting votes in constituency of Darel a sheer breach of the Constitution and have called upon chief election commissioner to take notice of this move. On Friday, PPP leader Amjad Hussain said restricting women voters of Gilgit-Baltistan from casting ballots is lethal for democracy. Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman of PML-N said his party will resist any curb of women’s suffrage. Senior leader of PTI in G-B Mirza Nusrat said his party will oppose any such move. According to a top leader of JUI-F, all the candidates from constituency of Darel have agreed that women should not cast their votes because a Jirga has taken this decision. If candidates object to the decision of the Jirga, women will be allowed to exercise their right to vote, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2015.