2.6 million women in Balochistan are deprived of right to vote: Women activists

QUETTA: Women Rights activists on Saturday said that 2.6 million women in Balochistan are deprived of right to vote and millions more will be unable to vote if necessary arrangements are not done for their registration.

Sana Durrani President Balochistan Women Network (BWN) and Mis Haleema Chairperson Health and Rural Development (HARD) and Gul Khan Nseer  in a press conference at Quetta Press Club demanded NADRA to increase the number of mobile Registration Vans to register more women for provision of Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) from National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).

Sana Durrani asked for reduction in the fee charges of registering CNICs at minimum level in order to provide facilities to poor women and their family members for availing CNICs.

“The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should work with political parties and Civil Society Organization (CSOs) to assist in voting registration in order to ensure women voting in upcoming general and local elections.” Mis Haleema demanded.

Mentioning the ECPs voters’ data Mr Gul Khan Naseer said: “The unregistered vote per women shows that Balochistan has the worst score as 27 out of 100 women are still not listed to cast their vote in the upcoming elections. Balochistan has the most unsatisfactory figures in unregistered vote per women.”

The women activists demanded ECP and NADRA for rapid response for successful political process and tangible actions against obstacles confronting women voters in Balochistan.    

Staff Reporter

Published in The Balochistan Point on May 26, 2018