While women came out in large numbers to participate in the second phase of the local bodies elections held on Thursday, there were reports of women being stopped from exercising their right to franchise in many districts of Punjab. A scuffle broke out at a polling station in ward-III of Chenab Nagar, Chiniot when one contestant tried to stop a troop of women, who had been brought in by the rival candidate, from casting their vote. Polling had to be suspended due to the scuffle, but resumed after a 30 minute interlude.
In Sahiwal, a school-teacher on polling duty was arrested after he forced women to cast ballots in favour of his favoured candidate. In Hafizabad, women supporters of different candidates exchanged harsh words that resulted in a scuffle at a polling station. In ward-II of UC-17 in Sheikhupura Muridke, women presiding officers were locked in a room by supporters of an independent candidate. Police had to intervene and rescue the polling staff.
Meanwhile, there were numerous reports of women being barred from voting at different polling stations in Mianwali apparently after a decision by local jirga. However, women returned to their polling stations and cast their votes unhindered after an intervention by contesting candidates. Women in Jhang were discouraged from casting their votes with clashes erupting at some stations.
In UC-9 Sargodha, a woman was found casting multiple votes. A video showed the woman casting as many as eight votes.
There were also reports of a number of hurdles being created to stop women from voting in Gujranwala even though a newlywed woman managed to exercise her right to franchise before exercising her right to marriage.
Rights activists expressed their concern over the barring of women from the elections.
HRCP secretary general I A Rehman in a statement noted how women were barred from voting in union councils of Sargodha and Toba Tek Singh apparently after an agreement between rival candidates.
Rights activist Tahira Abdullah in a statement condemned the re-emergence of what she termed “the evil practice” of prohibiting women from exercising their fundamental constitutional right to vote and demanded that the CEC, along with the ECP to take note of the incidents in Mianwali.
Fuente: http://tribune.com.pk/story/995039/restrictions-in-punjab-women-barred-f...
