ISLAMABAD, July 14: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) on Thursday said they were in favour of women’s participation in every sphere of life and against stopping them from casting votes in any election in any part of the country. Commenting on reports that all the political parties have agreed on an agreement under which women will not be allowed to cast their votes in the local government elections in Dir, the president of the PPP, NWFP chapter, Rahimdad Khan, and PML-N Secretary-General Iqbal Zafar Jhagra said it was not the policy of their respective parties.

Rahimdad Khan, in a statement, said the party believed in gender equality and empowerment of women and would resist any attempt to disenfranchise women during the forthcoming local or general elections. The PPP leader categorically denied that the party was taking part in any deliberations regarding stopping women from casting their votes in the LG polls.

Mr Khan said the party’s political principles were well-known and it was unthinkable that its leaders or workers would enter into any arrangement at local level that was inconsistent with its policy, principles and manifesto.

He said the party would mobilise women voters from Chitral to Dera Ismail Khan come rain or sunshine in the polls. “If any candidate who claims affiliation with the party manifesto in any manner takes part in undemocratic and unconstitutional practise of debarring women from exercising their right of franchise will be so doing in violation of the party’s discipline and will be dealt with accordingly,” Mr Khan said.

The PPP leader also urged the women throughout the province to come forward and not abandon their legal and constitutional right in the face of opposition from obscurantist.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Jhagra said it would take a long time to change the centuries-old traditions and culture in any area. He said though it was not the policy of the PML-N to stop women from casting votes, the party did not support the idea of bringing out women forcefully to caste votes in any area, saying it could create a law and order situation. He said there was a need to educate the people of the area so that they could also play their role in the country’s politics.