PESHAWAR, July 22: Provincial president of the People’s Party Parliamentarians Rahimdad Khan has said that his party is not a part of any accord banning women’s participation in the local body polls in the districts of Upper and Lower Dir. An impression was created that the PPP had signed an agreement with other parties in Dir to ban women’s participation in the upcoming elections, Mr Khan told journalists here on Friday.

He said that the district Dir president of the PPP had already clarified the party’s stand on the issue and being the provincial president of the party, he supported participation of women in the elections in Dir like other parts of the country.

Mr Khan said that women formed 50 per cent of the country’s population and without their active participation in all walks of life, the country could not be put on the track of development.

“Our religion gives equal rights to women and the PPP manifesto guarantees the protection of women’s rights,” he said.

He said that the PPP was led by a woman who was respected around the world and represented the country at various international forums.

He said that the PPP would not become a party to any deal against fundamental human rights.

“On the one hand, some political leaders have sent their daughters to the provincial and national assemblies and, on the other, they are opposing women’s participation in a democratic process in the backward areas,” he said.

He said that women representatives in local councils could affectively serve neglected segments of society in their areas.

Mr Khan said that the PPP would field women candidates in the local body elections across the country and added that if any branch of the party supported the ban on women’s participation in the polls, steps would be taken against it.