KARACHI, Oct 8: National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) has taken strong exception to press reports that a Jirga in Khyber Agency has decided to prevent women from casting their votes in the election.

NCSW Chairperson Majida Rizvi, in a statement on Tuesday, termed it an alarming development tantamount to challenging the the authority of the government and the Election Commission.

The Jirga reportedly threatened to burn the houses of and impose heavy fines on the families whose women came out for casting their votes.

The threats were a breach of the law and warranted prompt action against offenders, she said and added that it was the responsibility of the Election Commission to ensure free, fair and impartial conduct of elections in the country, including the tribal areas.

She said she was confident that the Election Commission would take prompt action in the matter and issue instructions to the authorities concerned to ensure that no hindrance was created in the exercise of women’s right to vote.

She said the holding of election in the absence of free and full participation of women would render the outcome controversial and the result in such a constituency could not be taken to be a genuine.

“I request the Election Commission and the federal and NWFP governments to take effective steps for the free, fair and impartial exercise of right to vote in the tribal areas and elsewhere in the country where attempts are being made to prevent women from casting votes.” she said.—PPI