ATTOCK, Aug 30: As many as 2,423 women voters of two union councils were barred from voting by both the Pakistan Muslim League and other opposition parties-backed candidates, sources told Dawn.

The candidates of the ruling party and other opposition parties at Union Council 22 of Nartupa in Hazro tehsil and UC 28 of Burhan in Hasanabdal had entered into an agreement not to allow women to cast votes, the sources said.

None of the 2,114 registered votes at the women polling stations No 209/1 and 210 at the Government Girls Primary School Nartupa and 211/3 at Government Primary School Yaseen of Nartupa were polled.

Similarly, none of the 309 women voters were allowed to cast votes in village Tass of Union Council 28 in Burhan.

“Some local leaders and candidates had even sworn on the holy Quran that they would not allow women’s polling in Nartupa and Burhan. One such agreement was reached a night before the polling day,” the sources said.

When contacted, District Returning Officer Chaudhry Mohammad Younis conformed the report and expressed concern over the incident.

He also regretted that NGOs and other stakeholders did not fulfil their obligations in this regard.

Meanwhile, Assistant Election Commissioner Sardar Mazhar Minhaz also confirmed that no woman vote was polled at the four polling stations.

It may be mentioned that not a single NGO including the Aurat Foundation have reported the incident to the quarters concerned, although their representatives were issued special entry passes and provided other facilities by the government and the election commission to monitor and report the barring of women from voting in the district.

When contacted, an official of the district coordination committee (LG elections) of the Aurat Foundation expressed his ignorance about the incident.

However, he said that he would probe the incident.