Women Banned from Voting in District of Pakistan...

Ishmael

JF-Expert Member
Oct 18, 2011
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Islamabad: In a bizarre diktat out of sync with modern-day ethos, the Jirga (religious assembly) inGilgit Baltistan -- an eight-hour drive from the Pakistan capital -- has banned women from taking part in the coming assembly elections slated for June 8.

[FONT=arial !important]The Jirga -- a traditional assembly of leaders that takes decisions by consensus and according to the teachings of Islam -- in Darel valley on late Thursday barred the women of the area from contesting and voting in the forthcoming elections, Dawn reported on Friday.

[FONT=arial !important]All candidates from ruling and opposition parties in the region taking part in the elections have agreed to abide by the Jirga diktat, which said that women`s participation in elections is against the cultural tradition of the area and the religious teachings.
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[FONT=arial !important]The Jirga`s decision is likely to disenfranchise more than 12,550 female voters of the GBLA-17, Diamer 3, constituency.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial !important]A similar Jirga decision is pending in the adjacent Tangir Valley.
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[FONT=arial !important]Human Rights organisations and activists have condemned the decision and asked the government to take necessary steps to ensure that women voters are allowed to exercise their legal right.
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[FONT=arial !important]Pakistan`s Benazir Bhutto was the world`s tenth -- and Pakistan`s only -- woman prime minister.[/FONT]
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IANS
Women banned from taking part in polls in Pakistan region | Zee News
 
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