Anything surprising — just 47,000 women voters not allowed to cast their votes in Lower Dir PK-95 constituency this Thursday; that’s it. Now tons of condemnations are pouring on social media from all quarters questioning this systematic rigging to deprive thousands of women from a right guaranteed by the constitution of Pakistan. But what’s the use of all these condemnations? This is not the first time it’s happening. During 2013 elections, women were banned to cast their votes in Lower and Upper Dir and Malakand under written (and verbal) agreements signed by representatives of all the political parties, no matter these are religious, rightist, liberal or secular parties.
Last time PK-95 assembly seat was won by Jamat-e-Islami’s Ameer, Siraj-ul-Haq, who justified banning of women under security cloud. He was afraid that suicide bombers may attack the polling stations disguising as women. Obviously it was a lame excuse but regrettably Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) failed to take any notice of this blunt violation of the country’s constitution and human rights. As no action was taken against these parties at that time, same crime was repeated this Thursday; will be same tomorrow and afterwards until ECP comes forward to stop this practice from medieval times.
Interestingly this time Siraj-ul-Haq came back with another exciting excuse — women have many things to do at home such as cooking, cleaning; they might not have time to go out to cast their votes.
As entire half population of PK-95 constituency was forcibly stopped from casting their votes under the clutches of verbal and written agreements and jirga orders, we shall demand that election results shall be declared null and void. A re-poll shall be ordered wherein it shall be ensured that women face no hurdle in casting their votes. All costs of this re-polling process shall be borne by those who are responsible for this violation of human rights. Till that time, this constituency shall remain without any representation in the provincial assembly.
It’s time to expose the real face of all those political parties which become champion of women rights while operating in urban metropolises. Recently Jamat-e-Islami’s Ameer addressed a large women-only rally during NA-246 election campaign in Karachi but just after two weeks same party was locking the women in their homes in Dir. Why not preach the same thing in Dir which you preached in Karachi? True, shamelessness sees no boundaries.
It’s time for ECP to wake up.
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia