PESHAWAR, Aug 26: The women wing of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians organized a demonstration outside Peshawar Press Club on Friday against barring women from casting their votes in union council Sheikhan on Aug 18.

The protesters demanded that the Election Commission of Pakistan hold fresh elections in Union Council No. 58, Sheikhan, on the Kohat Road, because women had not been allowed to cast their votes.

The women protesters accused the so-called elders of the area of restraining women from exercising their right of adult franchise during the first phase of local body elections.

They also chanted slogans against the federal government and the Election Commission of Pakistan for ignoring a gender-biased and inhuman practice in their area. They warned that they would hold demonstration in front of the National Assembly in Islamabad if fresh elections were not held in their union council.

Later, speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club, provincial chief of PPP women wing, Mehrunnisa Afridi, accompanied by Kanwal Saima and Nasreen, all from the union council Sheikhan, told journalists that there were 4,000 registered women votes in the union council, but not a single women was allowed to cast her vote.

She claimed that none of the women voter was allowed to visit female polling booths in Girls Primary Schools, Sheikhan, Musazai and Mashokhel No 1 and No 2, but the presiding officer concerned had given result from these booths.

Mrs Afridi said the Chief Election Commissioner had ordered the district returning officer concerned to hold fresh elections in the union council No 58, but no arrangements had been made for the purpose.

She said women voters had also not been allowed in union council Larama to cast their votes.

The PPP leader appealed to the human rights organisations and the NGOs working for gender equality to launch protest against the forcible exclusion of women from the election process.

She said if fresh elections were not held in the area, PPP would launch a protest campaign against the government and the Election Commission of Pakistan.