CHITRAL: Several women have filed nomination papers to contest the Feb 8 elections in Chitral region for general seats of both national and provincial assemblies.

Four of them are aspirants of election tickets by mainstream political parties.

All of them validly filed nominations with the respective returning officers, according to Forms 32 of NA-1 Upper Chitral-cum-Lower Chitral, PK-1 Upper Chitral and PK-2 Lower Chitral.

For NA-1, Khadija Bibi has been named by the Awami National Party (ANP), which has also declared her as the first priority for women’s assembly quota.

Taqdira Ajmal, an office-bearer of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Women’s Wing, is a contender for the party’s nomination for NA-1 election.

She has been associated with the former ruling party for years and lives in Islamabad, where she is married.

The chances of her winning the PTI ticket have increased after the rejection of the nomination papers of the party’s main candidate Abdul Latif by the returning officer. However, that depends on the decision of the election tribunal about Mr Latif’s candidature.

Syeda Maimoona Shah, the daughter of former prayer leader at parliament Qari Buzurg Shah Al-Azhari, is in the running for the seat as an independent candidate.

In PK-I constituency, Surraya Bibi is aspiring for the PTI’s ticket.

She is the divisional president of her party’s Women’s Wing in Malakand Division. There is a high likelihood of her nomination as the nomination papers of principal candidate Shahzada Sikandarul Mulk were rejected by the returning officer. He didn’t turn to the election tribunal against that decision.

Bibi Sara, a woman councillor from Parwak village, is also in the electoral arena from the constituency. She eyes the PTI ticket.

Bibi Latifa of Mastuj town is another woman candidate from PK-1. She is an aspirant for PTI ticket. She returned as the member of Mastuj tehsil council on the PTI’s ticket in the last local body polls.

In PK-II constituency, Hina Rehman of Ayun village, who is an office-bearer of the PTI, is aspiring for the former ruling party’s ticket for general seat.

Besides the ANP, many political parties have also nominated their women workers as top three prioritiesfor both national and provincial assembly seats against women quota.

They include Nilofar Babar of the Pakistan Peoples Party for the NA seat, Ghazala Anjum of the PML-N in third priority for NA and Bibi Fozia of the PTI for provincial assembly seat on third priority.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2024