Islamabad(Staff Reporter);ECP Slams Political Parties for Failing to Meet Women’s Quota of General Seats, The Election Commission of Pakistan has issued fresh notices to seven political parties for failing to allocate the mandated 5% of general seats to female candidates in the recent elections.
During a hearing led by Sindh Member Nisar Durrani, it was noted that the parties—including Jamaat-e-Islami, Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan, Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Pakistan Rah-e-Haq, and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (S)—were absent. The Commission warned that failure to comply with the women’s quota could result in the revocation of the parties’ election symbols.
Election Commission officials emphasized the need for a compliance report detailing whether the 5% quota for women was honored. They criticized the common practice of awarding women candidates in constituencies with minimal party support and questioned the broader impact of not meeting the quota.
BNP-Mengal’s lawyer requested a two-week extension, while the lawyer for TLP also sought more time to respond. The Election Commission revealed that BNP-Mengal allocated only 3.84% of tickets to women, while other parties, including the Suleman Khan Tribal Movement, requested additional time to submit their responses.
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Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan’s lawyer stated that their candidates had withdrawn their nomination papers in support of the PPP, noting that their only female candidate had also withdrawn. The Commission instructed the party to submit a written statement along with an affidavit.
The lawyer for the Pakistan Ideological Party explained that while they provided the women’s quota in Punjab, other provinces had fewer candidates and hence did not meet the quota requirement. The Commission inquired whether the 5% quota applied to the Senate as well, noting that the Election Act specifies quotas for Parliament and Provincial Assemblies.
The Election Commission has requested details regarding the Senate quotas and adjourned the hearing until August 7.
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