ABBOTTABAD: No woman is among the 74 candidates, who have filed nomination papers for the three tehsil chairman’s slots and one mayor’s seat as the election commission displayed the final list of contestants here on Saturday.

Abbottabad is among the seven districts of the Hazara division, where the second phase of local body elections is being held on March 31.

Interestingly, despite having the highest literacy rate in Hazara and involvement of women in provincial and national politics, the mainstream political parties in the district have failed to field a woman candidate for the local body top slots.

There were speculations that former women MPAs from PML-N, PPP and PTI would file nominations, but that proved wrong and discouraging for those, who have advocated for an active role of women in politics.

The ruling PTI has three women lawmakers – MNA Uzma Riaz Jadoon, and MPAs Momina Basit and Maliha Ali Asghar Khan -- elected on women reserved seats from Abbottabad.

Farzana Mushtaq, wife of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, remained an MNA of PML-Q, and MPA Neema Nisar of PPP from 2008-2013.

Amina Sardar and Ruqeyya Mohammad Khan were elected MPAs on women reserved seats on PML-N ticket during the 2013 general elections.

Meanwhile, though the political parties have not yet formally announced their ticket holders, according to insiders, PTI is going to field Sardar Shujah Nabi, grandson of former provincial minister late Sardar Ghulam Nabi, for Abbottabad city mayorship.

The PML-N has finalised the name of former MPA Sardar Shamoon Yar Khan as its candidate for the mayor’s seat, while JI is going to allot ticket to former district chief Abdul Razaq Abbasi.

PROTEST: The journalists’ community on Saturday staged a protest against the growing incidents of violence against mediapersons across the country, and asked the government to take practical steps for protecting their lives.

Former Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists president Afzal Butt and president Islamabad National Press Club Anwar Raza also joined the protest staged on the call of Abbottabad Union of Journalists.

The protesters condemned the murder of a journalist in Karachi. They warned of staging protests countrywide if the government failed to take practical steps for protecting the life and honour of mediapersons.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2022