PESHAWAR, July 24: The provincial women wing of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) staged a demonstration on Sunday against barring of women from contesting polls and casting votes in the forthcoming local body elections.

Mehrunissa Afridi, provincial president of the wing, said PPP chairperson Ms Benazir Bhutto had directed them to protest against this gender bias.

“Ms Bhutto has said that the PPP will take action against the local leadership of the party for an agreement disallowing women’s participation in the forthcoming LB polls,” Ms Afridi said.

The central leadership will take disciplinary action against Najmuddin Khan, provincial general secretary of the PPP, for allowing such discouraging move.

PPP’s women activists organised a protest rally in front of Peshawar Press Club and raised slogans demanding their rights. The demonstrators demanded that the government should ensure participation of women in the LB polls.

Ms Afridi told the press that she was going to Upper and Lower Dir districts soon to hold a protest against the decision of the local leaders there regarding barring women from casting vote or contesting LG elections.