Election 2018: PPP, PTI, PML failed to bring women on political horizon
It is evident that all parties ignored women from their election campaigns.
By Dunya Election Cell
(WebDesk) - To make women part of election process, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) took certain steps. Indeed, political parties have started using them for political purposes. ECP made it obligatory over them to ensure the issuance of five per cent tickets to the female candidates.
Also read: Issuing tickets to women on five percent seats is mandatory: ECP
Unfortunately political parties in Pakistan, which are already famous for barring women from contesting women, did not pay any heed to this condition. They instead of empowering them have starting giving tickets to male candidates. On the other side, women having influence and strong political backgrounds have been given tickets.
Also read: Breaking Stereotypes, heroic women setting feet in General Elections 2018
Others who have been allocated tickets will contest from the constituencies where the relevant party does not have any presence; thus, barring women in real sense from entering into political arena.
Few tickets for women
According to the facts and figures related to the issuance of tickets to the women on general seats, PPP awarded 16 tickets to women, PML-N and PTI 13, MMA 5, Tehrik Labeek Pakistan, Pak Sarzameen Party, and Awami National party three, MQM and Grand Democratic Alliance two, Balochistan National Party, National Party, and Balochistan Awami National Party only one.
Two conditions for women: either the party is too strong, or too weak to win
If thorough analysis is made with regard to awarding tickets to the women, it is evident they are issued in the areas where position of the party is quite strong. Also they have been issued from the constituencies where chances of winning are quite meager.
PPP towards patriarchy
For instance, PPP issued ticket to Shazia Marri and Nafisa Shah from NA 208 and NA 216 respectively. These are the constituencies where the position of the party is quite strong.
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Shazia Marri is one of the strongest candidates of PPP. Source: Twitter
On the other side dilemma is, Shehla Raza and Lisa Mehdi have been awarded tickets from NA 243 and NA 254 – the constituencies which are considered to be the political hub of MQM.
Only one ticket has been issued in Punjab to Samina Khalid Ghurki from NA 132. She has been a winning candidate of PPP in many elections. Similarly the party issued tickets to only three female candidates in KP, from NA 17, NA 27, and NA 35. These are the areas from where it never won.
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Samina Khalid Ghurki and her family have their personal influence in the constituency. Source: Facebook
PTI failed miserably
PTI issued eight tickets from Punjab and five tickets from Sindh to women from the constituencies where there is a meagre vote bank of the party. These constituencies include: NA 200, NA 201, and NA 211. Again tickets have been allocated to the candidates who have influence in their constituencies. For instance, Ghulam BIBI Bharwana has been allocated ticket from Jhang NA 115. She has been a winning candidate from this area.
Ghulam BIBI Bharwana is among the influential politicians who can win individually. Photo: National Assembly of Pakistan
From NA 191, Zartaj Gul has been issued the ticket. She took 40,000 votes from this area. It is considered to be her paternal constituency. Other such constituencies are NA 182, NA 184, and NA 173. The respective candidates have their family influence in them and can bag a handsome number of votes. Interesting, PTI did not issue even a single ticket to a woman from its supposed citadel KP.
Zartaj Gul is one of the few who has been allocated ticket to. Photo: File
As expected from PML-N
Similar situation prevails in PML-N’s camp where only seven female candidates have been allocated tickets from Punjab, three from KP, two from Sindh, and one from Balochistan. In Punjab, tickets have been allocated on the constituencies where chances of winning are quite low or on the areas where chances of winning are quite evident.
MMA issued five tickets to women from the constituencies where chances of getting victorious does not even exist. MQM issued tickets from NA 243 and NA 254, and in these constituencies the party has been getting victory.
ANP issued tickets from three constituencies including NA 13 and NA 43. These are the constituencies where it never won. Following the footsteps of big parties, Balochistan National Party, National Party, and Balochistan Awami National Party issued tickets to women from the constituencies where these parties could not stand a chance winning.
Every other party failed miserably
Keeping in view, the above mentioned facts and figures, it is evident that all parties ignored the women from their election campaigns. They not only overlooked the right of the women to contest elections but also denied following the rules and regulations established by ECP. Collectively, it is a failure of democracy.
Edited and translated by Junaid Ali Malik
For more news and updates on Elections 2018, visit Dunya Election Cell.
