KARACHI, July 29: Women are participating in the upcoming local body elections with enthusiasm showing determination and desire to serve the nation in general and womenfolk in particular.
These views were expressed by some of the women who filed their nomination papers for the local government elections.
Talking to APP on Friday, these intending candidates said they were keen to play an active role in the development of the country, particularly for the welfare of women.
Referring to the ratio of women contestants in the past polls, they maintained that the trend had now changed as a large number of women had filed nomination papers for the upcoming local body elections which, they added, proved that women were now more aware of their rights.
In the 2000-01 local government polls, 36,000 seats were set aside for women throughout the country against which 32,222 candidates returned successful.
According to statistics issued by the provincial election commission about the first phase of the upcoming local government election, 1,508 women have filed nomination papers for 356 Muslim women council’s slots and another 1,129 filed papers for 356 seats of peasants/workers in Karachi.
The data indicate that 368 nomination papers were filed for 84 seats of Muslim women councillors in West zone, 317 nominations for 84 seats in Central zone, 180 papers for 54 seats in South zone, 432 papers for 92 seats in East zone and 211 nominations were filed for 42 seats in Malir zone.
Similarly, for 356 seats of peasants/workers (female), 1,129 aspirants filed nomination papers. According to a breakdown, 256 papers were filed for 84 seats in West zone, 258 for 84 seats in Central zone, 133 papers for 54 seats in South zone, 146 for 42 seats in Malir zone and 336 papers for 92 seats in East zone.
It is for the first time that such a large number of female candidates have filed nomination papers in any election in the country.—APP
