MANSEHRA: A total of 76 aspirants are in the running for one national and three provincial assembly constituencies in highly conservative three Kohistan districts where the total number of voters is the lowest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Only two women candidates have been fielded by as many parties to meet five per cent quota condition of the ECP for women.

The Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan and Kolai-Palas districts, which have been made into single district for the July 25 general elections because of only 20 per cent registered voters which, according to the official sources, is the lowest in KP.

Of the total 784,711 population, only 154,619 people are registered as voters, including 65,649 women.

The record shows that in the past elections mostly women never showed up at polling stations and their votes were cast by male members.

As many as 26 candidates with no woman are in the running for NA-11, the only national assembly seat in three districts.

In PK-25, 31 contenders with no woman are vying; in PK-26, six contenders, including two women — Sidra Khalid of PTI and Nusrat Sheeraz of MMA, are in the race; and in PK-27, 13 contenders with no woman are in the running.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2018