ISLAMABAD, June 15: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Irshad Hasan Khan on Tuesday said that two separate voters' lists would be issued for the local bodies elections scheduled for next year.

"The matter is under consideration of the government weather to hold the LG elections on separate electorate basis or on joint electorate basis," the CEC said, while speaking at a workshop on women's political awareness at the ECP secretariat.

He added that whatever the decision be, there would be two separate voters' list: one for Muslims and the other for non-Muslims. The seminar was also participated by Justice Dr Fida Mohammad Khan of the Federal Shariat Court, ECP's secretary Hassan Mohammad, Joint Secretary, Kunwar Dilshad and MNA Dr Donya Aziz.

"The country today is facing a host of challenges while the time is running out; we must work jointly to evolve strategies for women's political awareness, their effective participation in the electoral process at grass-roots level and their increased understanding of the democratic process," the CEC remarked.

"I have no doubt in my mind that the parliamentarians at all levels, will play a leading role in this behalf," he maintained. To achieve the goal of 'gender equality' in a democratic setup, he said, NGOs should train and empower women, asking the universities, educational institutions and research bodies to provide information on 'gender equality' to the legislators.

He emphasized the need for making the political atmosphere and social environment women-friendly, besides taking steps to provide facilities of basic education, particularly for women.

Justice Irshad stressed adequate attention on child care, domestic cost and parental responsibility and provision of a 'special fund' in the national and provincial budgets for the betterment of women.

"A grievance cell at national, provincial and district levels should also be set up to redress the individual grievances of women while legislators should raise voice in the parliament for 'gender equality' through legislative measures," the CEC said.

He said illiteracy was a major hurdle in promoting "women's political awareness programme. Poverty is another major constraint and due to economic pressure, women, particularly at the grass-roots level, were not interested in any activity except earning their livelihood, he said adding that sociological problem was another bottleneck.