ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s recently passed Elections Act 2017 stresses for taking special measures to increase the participation of women, religious minorities, transgenders and disabled persons in the election process.
According to US Human Rights Report on Pakistan 2017, under the new election law, it is mandatory for every political party to give five per cent tickets to women. The law also gives right of the vote through postal ballot to the disabled persons.
The report said under the Elections Act 2017 if in any constituency women cast their vote less than 10 per cent than the election results of such constituency or polling station could be suspended.
It said that the new election law also stresses the early issuance of Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) to non-Muslims, transgender and disabled persons, as CNIC is used for the identity of a voter.
It added there were allocated special seats for minorities in the Senate and National Assembly.
The report said that around 94 percent internally displaced persons (IDPs) returned back to Waziristan after the military operation against terrorists. The UN organizations like UNHCR, UNICEF and WFP had made joint efforts to support the IDPs, including their vaccination to protect them from various diseases.
Similarly, the government and welfare organisations had paid special focus on polio immunization drive for children under five years of age to protect them from poliovirus as there were threats of affecting these children from this disease due to restriction on an anti-polio drive from Taliban.
The Pakistan Army extended support to the government for internal security and continued operations at large level against terrorists with the support of civil and paramilitary forces, the report said.
It added the government officials extended support to non-governmental organizations for labour inspection. It said that the officials openly allowed for labour inspection to monitor the implementation of labour laws, particularly child labour.
