10 October 2004	Sunday	24 Shaban 1425

PESHAWAR, Oct 9: A majority of Afghan women said they had voted for incumbent President Hamid Karzai in the first-ever presidential election on Saturday because he could better guarantee their rights.

"We fully support Hamid Karzai because he is a liberal," 18-year-old Yasmeen said.

Many female voters, who make almost 26 per cent of the total 740,000 Afghan voters registered in Pakistan, interviewed at eight polling stations in Shiekhabad, expressed the hope that the new president would allow women to get education, work outdoors and take part in social activities.

Shakeela, 20, said she was happy that at last Afghan women had been given their right to franchise.

Farida, 22, who belongs to Kabul, said most of the Afghan women backed plans for the rehabilitation of their war-ravaged country but they also wanted their rights which Islam had given them. She said women should be allowed to get education and work but within the limits laid down by Islam.

"We want a secular or moderate president and not extremists," she said, adding, "we have seen the dark period of the Taliban who did not even allow a stationery shop. We want an elected president who can ensure us our rights."

Some other women said they respected the courage shown by Masooda Jalal, the only female candidate in the contest, for having joined the contest. But most of them said they could not vote for her.

"She is new and a female. Most of the Afghan people are uneducated and they would not accept a woman as the president of a country which has gone through hard times for the last 25 years," 26-year-old Shakeeba said.

Noreen Sadaat, 35, who belongs to the Parwan province and has been living in Pakistan for the last five years, said Afghanistan was not a developed country yet so it would not be possible for the Afghan people to accept a woman as their president.

Most of the voters were of the view that tough times were ahead for the new president as things would not change overnight.

"In the present situation we need a progressive president who would put the country on the path to development," said Jamila at the Jehangirabad polling station.

Saira, 40, said she had come to vote for peace.

"I want the bloodshed to stop. I want peace and stability in my homeland so that refugees can go back to their homes," she said.