Summary Local religious scholars stopped women from voting in by-elections.
PESHAWAR (Dunya News) - Once again, women voters have been barred from exercising their voting rights in the by-elections in different areas today (Thursday).
Women were stopped from voting at six polling stations of NA-5 constituency of Nowshera district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Local religious scholars informed that no woman would be allowed to leave home and cast a vote.
Similarly, women were barred from casting their votes in Payekhel, Chakrala and Kund areas Mianwali s NA-71 constituency.
Election Commission said that restricting women from casting their vote is unconstitutional.
The commission vowed to take legal action against the people who stopped women from voting.
ECP directed the presiding officer to prepare women voters’ results separately to ascertain the actual number of female voters.
The practice of barring women to exercise their voting rights has been going on for years in several parts of the country and conservative tribal customs support this ban.
Women represent only about 43% of the roughly 86 million registered voters, according to election commission data. In more conservative areas like Khyber Paktunkhwa province and Balochistan, the percentage drops even further.
