LAHORE, May 31: Chief Election Commissioner Justice Irshad Hassan Khan (retired) has observed that women at the grassroots generally lack interest in by elections to such a degree that hundreds of their reserved seats are lying vacant across the country.

"The fact that 465 seats are still to be filled in the Punjab alone sounds pathetic and needs to be addressed by all concerned," the CEC said at the inaugural session of a three-day workshop of assistant election officers. The workshop concluded on Monday.

Justice Irshad said educating and mobilizing women for their own representation at the lowest level of the electoral exercise was a national obligation and the government, political parties and non-government organizations had to fulfil their duties.

He said lack of education and political awareness, sense of insecurity and a host of social compulsions were keeping women away from representative bodies at the lowest tier. He understood that a 'massive' awareness campaign had to be initiated by all concerned to ensure that women participated in union council by elections.

The CEC also emphasized the need for developing cordial relationship between the government and the opposition at all levels of governance, saying the election commission was obliged to evolve such an atmosphere of political understanding.

Observing that democratic ethics warranted growing recognition of the opposition in the political practices in Pakistan, he said the election commission should establish its credibility with the opposition parties in particular as this would help bridge the widening gulf between the two.

There was a consensus among the participants that all political parties had to broadly agree to the rules and code of conduct at least in giving sanctity to elections at all levels of representation.

They felt that no electoral exercise should be distorted or interrupted under any pretext. The Election Commission of Pakistan also circulated the bypolls schedule at the workshop, sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme.

According to it, by polls for 17 union council Nazims and 31 Naib Nazims, besides a good number of reserved seats, will be held across the country in four phases from June 7.

Four union council Nazims and 15 Naib Nazims are to be elected in the Punjab, three Nazims and five Naib Nazims in Sindh, six each Nazims and Naib Nazims in the NWFP and four Nazims and five Naib Nazims in Balochistan. Besides, by election to elect Nasirabad district Nazim and three women in the same district council and three in the Jafarabad district council will be held on June 7.

The Nazim and Naib Nazim of UC Shadia (No 42) of Mianwali are to be elected on June 10. The Nazim and a peasant/labour representative for Naushki district will be elected on June 15 along with the Naib Nazim and one seat each for women and minorities of the Chaghai district council.

The Nazim and Naib Nazim of UC Matta (No 25), Kasur, Nazim of UC Dak, Naushki, and the Nazim and Naib Nazim of UC Arbab Karim Khan Road (No 46), Quetta, will be held on June 16.