Women were deprived of their right to vote during the May 11 general election in North Waziristan Agency, Lakki Marwat and Lower Dir, as the male dominated conservative people consider it un-Islamic.
Sources said in Miranshah, tribesmen were informed through mosque loudspeakers early on Saturday that no woman would be allowed to leave home and cast vote.
Earlier on Wednesday, pamphlets were also distributed in different areas of NWA warning tribesmen not to let women to vote, threatening punishment for those who would do so.
A jirga (an assembly of tribal elders) barred women voters from exercising their right of franchise. The tribal elders who met in the Pahar Khel Thal area of Lakki Marwat gave their verdict against women casting votes after nightlong deliberations.
The number of registered women voters in the constituency PK-74 is 43,048, whereas in Pahar Khel Thal area there are 1,948 women voters.
Local sources confirmed that after consensus between Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) women in Lower Dir were stopped to visit polling stations to cast their vote. However, spokesmen of both parties have denied the allegation saying they have always supported the women rights then how could they take such decision.
Meanwhile, women’s turnout remained weak than expectation in the most conservative, rural parts of KP and Balochistan provinces.
