Peshawar: A total of 30 women candidates from different political parties from the tribal districts have submitted nomination papers with the provincial election commissioner for four women reserved seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
Similarly, nine candidates have filed nomination papers for one non-Muslim seat in the KP Assembly. With the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s election in the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) 16 seats to be held on July 2, the provincial election commissioner, Pir Maqbool Ahmad, who is returning officer for the reserved seats, has directed political parties to submit priority lists of their candidates for the four seats reserved for women and one for non-Muslims until May 11. However, the returning officer through a notification had asked only those registered as voters in the erstwhile Fata were eligible to file nomination papers against the reserved seats. Anita Mahsud from South Waziristan, Jasica Khan, Khyber district, Tabbasum and Robina Gul, North Waziristan, submitted nomination papers as candidates of the PTI.
Three JUI-F female candidates who submitted nomination papers include Naeema Kishwar from South Waziristan, Rozina Bibi, FR Tank and Sirajunnisa, Khyber district. PPP’s two candidates Chand Bibi and Dr Begum Jan also submitted nomination papers. Four candidates of ANP including Zeba Afridi, Dr Taslim Begum, Naheed Afridi and Hajira Bibi filed nomination on reserved seats. Four candidates of Jamaat-e-Islami including Nazrana, Bas Roz Begum, Razia and Zarshaida filed nomination papers, while one from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan Surayya Bibi filed nomination papers with the returning officer. For one non-Muslim reserved seat, nine candidates including one woman Surayya Bibi, Sarbat Singh, Gopal Singh and Painder Singh have submitted nomination papers.
Similarly, a total of 438 candidates including three females have filed nomination papers for election on 16 general seats in the erstwhile Fata to be held on July 2. As per the list issued by the election commission, 87 candidates have filed nomination papers for three seats in Bajaur district including 25 candidates for PK-100, 41 for PK-101 and 21 for PK-102. A total of 50 candidates including a woman have filed nomination papers for two seats in Mohmand district including 22 for PK-103 and 28 for PK-104.
Similarly, 85 candidates including a woman filed nomination papers for three general seats in Khyber district including 27 for PK-105, 28 for PK-106 and 30 for PK-30, while 63 candidates including a woman candidate filed papers for two seats in Kurram district including 42 candidates for PK-108 and 21 for PK-109. A total of 26 candidates filed nomination papers for one seat PK-110 in Orakzai district.
\Likewise, 54 candidates filed nomination papers for two seats in North Waziristan including 28 for PK-111 and 26 for PK-112, 57 candidates filed nomination papers for two seats of South Waziristan including 35 for PK-113 and 22 for PK-114, while 13 candidates filed papers for one seat of former frontier regions.
The general seats will be filled through direct election while the five reserved seats will be filled through proportional representation of number of general seats won by a political party for which every party has to submit its priority list of candidates. A total of 2.691 million voters, including 1.074 women will exercise their right to vote. The highest number of 522,480 voters is registered in Bajaur tribal district. The voters include 308,104 (59 per cent) men and 214,376 (41 per cent) women.
Khyber tribal district has the second highest voters i.e. 519,290, including 294,228 (57 per cent) men and 225,062 (43 per cent) women. South Waziristan has 376,635 registered voters, including 231,831 (62 per cent) men and 144,804 (38 per cent) women; Kurram district 352,794, including 200,621 (57 per cent) men and 152,173 (43 per cent) women; North Waziristan district 294,820, including 204,546 (69 per cent) men and 90,274 (31 per cent) women; Mohmand district 271,251 including 170,279 (63 per cent) men and 100,972 (37 per cent) women, and Orakzai district 192,633, including 108,649 (56 per cent) men and 83,984 (44 per cent) women. The six former FR regions collectively have 161,992 votes, including 98,894 (61.04 per cent) men and 63,098 (38.95 per cent) women.
