PPP, ANP, JI, PML-N agree ban on women vote in parts of Malakand

Major parties have agreed to bank women voting in parts of Malakand, the decision dismissed by provincial minister as violation of election laws.

Leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), and the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) entered into an informal agreement in Buner district agreed to bar women from casting their votes in the provincial assembly’s PK-78 constituency.

Musarat Qadeem, provincial information minister, confirmed the agreement in several parts of Malakand and said that her gov’t had informed the Election Commission.

She condemned the decision. She said she will request the commission to commission to punish and fine those who have signed these illegal agreements.

Meanwhile the PPP, ANP and JI had entered into a similar agreement in Lower Dir’s provincial assembly seat PK-94.

Sources said that three parties struck a secret deal in Talash area of Lower Dir to avoid reaction from the Election Commission.

After the media criticism, the PPP issued a statement and said it will empower women and will not disenfranchise them.

Secretary General of the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has said that the Party believes in women emancipation and empowerment and there is no question of any local chapter of the Party entering into overt or covert agreement with any one to deprive the women of the right to vote.

Raja Pervez Asharf said this in a statement today commenting on reports in a section of the media that alleged that the PPPP had entered into an agreement with some other political party in Dir in Khyber Pakhunkhwa not to bring out women for voting Saturday.

“I wish to make it abundantly clear that the policy of the Party has been and will continue to be to empower women and there is no question of doing anything that would lead to disenfranchising women”.

Raja Pervez Ashraf said that the Party is known for fighting obscurantist elements who want to deprive the women of their rights and it is unthinkable for us to disenfranchise women. He said that the reports of any move by any Party member to disenfranchise women in his constituency are not correct.

He also made it clear that the Party will take strict disciplinary action against any member who may act in any manner that is contrary to the Party policy in this regard.

Our Chairperson Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was the Muslim world’s first elected Prime Minister who signed the international covenant aimed at elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW) despite strong opposition from the bigoted and obscurantist elements, he said.

Treading in the footsteps of our great leaders to empower women the Party will encourage women to vote Saturday in all constituencies and demonstrate once again that we believe in empowering, not disenfranchising women.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on May 10 2013. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.