KARACHI, July 14: The Aurat Foundation, a non-governmental organization working for women rights, has condemned political parties in the NWFP’s Dir district for restricting women from contesting the ensuing local bodies’ elections, and has urged the authorities to ensure women participation in polls. Anis Haroon, Aslam Brohi, Hassan Pathan, Nuzhat Shirin and others of the NGO on Thursday said they had learnt that local leaders of various political parties had met at a hotel in Dir and had decided to stop women from filing nomination papers for the polls, which are to be filed from July 16.

The NGO activists pointed out to the government that women were not allowed by these local political parties to contest nor even cast votes in the local bodies’ elections in 2001 in Dir and Swabi districts, calling it a clear violation of women rights.

They demanded the government and the Election Commission of Pakistan to take notice of the ulterior intentions of some extremist elements of society. They also urged the political parties in general and the progressive ones in particular to condemn these orthodox notions and ensure the participation of women in the political process in these areas.