Selective suffrage: Women stopped from voting approach court
Were allegedly restrained and restricted during K-P local government elections
Women were allegedly restrained and restricted during K-P local government elections. PHOTO: IHC WEBSITE
ISLAMABAD:
Four women, who were allegedly restrained from voting by election officials in Bannu District during the K-P local government elections earlier this year, approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday for justice.
Zubaida Bibi, Rufaida, Gul Sawali and Falooda also approached the court against an order passed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on October 13 dismissing their petitions on the same issue.
ECP Chairman Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza and members Justice (retd) Muhammad Roshan Essani, Justice (retd) Riaz Kayani, Justice (retd) Shahzad Akbar Khan and Justice (retd) Fazalur Rehman had dismissed several identical petitions, stating that a detailed order with reasons will be recorded later.
The petitioners through their counsel, Tajamal Hussain, have made Bannu district returning officer, ECP chief and K-P government respondents.
In the petition, the counsel stated that on election day, the petitioners and other female voters from the area were forcibly restrained, allegedly by the elected officials, from exercising their basic right to vote.
Subsequently, a petition was filed before the ECP so that the infringement of the rights of registered female voters could have been remedied, but it was dismissed, leaving the women disillusioned, Hussain stated.
The counsel argued that the impugned order failed to protect the right of female voters as guaranteed in the constitution. He added that the order promotes prohibition and curtailment of the basic right to vote, which is duly protected by the law of the land.
He prayed the court to declare the election results null and void and for the ECP order to be declared illegal as it was in violation of the constitution.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2015.
Four women, who were allegedly restrained from voting by election officials in Bannu District during the K-P local government elections earlier this year, approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday for justice.
Zubaida Bibi, Rufaida, Gul Sawali and Falooda also approached the court against an order passed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on October 13 dismissing their petitions on the same issue.
ECP Chairman Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza and members Justice (retd) Muhammad Roshan Essani, Justice (retd) Riaz Kayani, Justice (retd) Shahzad Akbar Khan and Justice (retd) Fazalur Rehman had dismissed several identical petitions, stating that a detailed order with reasons will be recorded later.
The petitioners through their counsel, Tajamal Hussain, have made Bannu district returning officer, ECP chief and K-P government respondents.
In the petition, the counsel stated that on election day, the petitioners and other female voters from the area were forcibly restrained, allegedly by the elected officials, from exercising their basic right to vote.
Subsequently, a petition was filed before the ECP so that the infringement of the rights of registered female voters could have been remedied, but it was dismissed, leaving the women disillusioned, Hussain stated.
The counsel argued that the impugned order failed to protect the right of female voters as guaranteed in the constitution. He added that the order promotes prohibition and curtailment of the basic right to vote, which is duly protected by the law of the land.
He prayed the court to declare the election results null and void and for the ECP order to be declared illegal as it was in violation of the constitution.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2015.