Although Pakistan has the distinction of electing the Muslim world’s first woman prime minister, there are still places where women are denied even the right to vote. This has been going on unrestrained in some constituencies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
The worst affected have been certain KP constituencies. In the 2013 elections, women in these areas were forcibly barred from getting to polling stations. Things still remain far from satisfactory. The latest case in point is PK-23, Shangla, where the female turnout was as low as 4.1 percent. This time though the Election Act has helped.
As per this law, if the female voters’ turnout is less than 10 percent of the total votes cast in a constituency, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) can declare the result null and void. Accordingly, the ECP has annulled the result and ordered re-polling, though only after being approached by a petitioner who pointed out that women were forcibly barred from voting.
Those insistent on this unsavoury, undemocratic practice are not only local conservative elements wanting to have complete control over women’s lives but also religious parties, like the JUI-F and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).
Unfortunately, the mainstream political parties have also been abandoning their principles to make disgusting compromises for the sake of electoral gains. They have been participating in jirgas where agreements are signed to forcibly prevent women from casting their votes.
The JUI-F and JI have also opposed to the relevant section of the election law, making the ridiculous argument that it amounts to forcing women to vote.
That argument was effectively rebutted when a by-election was held in Lower Dir after JI chief resigned his provincial assembly seat to become a senator. Out of some 53,000 female registered voters, no one came out to vote. But after the ECP cancelled the result and called fresh polls they came out in large numbers to exercise their right to vote.
That of course happened because contestants and their backers knew stopping them would mean losing their own chance of success, and hence refrained from using pressure tactics. In fact, women want more than that. Interestingly, for the July 25 election a PML-N woman candidate filed her nomination papers to contest NA-7 Lower Dir seat against the JI emir.
The examples of Lower Dir and Shangla show proper implementation of the election law is the only way to end disenfranchisement of women living in traditional societies. Hardened misogynistic attitudes may not change, but acceptance of a basic right could be an important step towards change.
