PESHAWAR, Oct 10: The inhabitants of suburban areas of the provincial capital and adjoining tribal areas live to their past traditions and did not allow women to cast their votes on Thursday.
In different areas the contesting candidates and elders had entered into agreements and decided not to hold women’s polling. The concerned polling officers continued waiting for any of the female voters till 5pm, the closing time.
Women polling stations in rural areas of Peshawar were offering deserted look. In some of the stations in Bahadur Kallay, Achar, Hazarkhwani, Landi Arbab, Bhadabher, Mathani, Budhni, etc. even the polling agents of different candidates even did not turn up to the stations.
Same was the case in Khyber Agency, Bajaur Agency, Mohmand Agency and Dara Adamkhel. In Landi Kotal, the presiding officer even did not seal the ballot boxes and it remained open as the polling agents did not appear there. One of the presiding officers claimed that the officers had received strict instructions that the ballot boxes should be sealed in the presence of the polling agents of the contesting candidates. “As neither the polling agents nor any female voters visited the station, therefore we have not sealed the ballot boxes,” she claimed.
At Government Girls College, Gulshan Rehman Colony, where women’s polling station was set up for Deh Bahadur area, the polling agents of different candidates were also present. They expressed ignorance about any agreement signed between the candidates. However, one of the agents claimed that in that area women’s polling had never taken place.
The presiding officer in that station told Dawn that the staff had to wait till 5pm for the arrival of any female voter. She added that 879 female voters were registered in that area.
In Dara Adamkhel a tribal jirga had already announced a fine of Rs5,00,000 against any person who violates its decision regarding barring females from casting votes. The jirga had also fined a contesting candidate, Malik Zaman Afridi, who had opposed that decision of the jirga.
Throughout the day the polling stations were offering deserted look. None of the women voter visited the station. Same was the case in Bajaur, Mohmand and Khyber Agencies of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
A police officer at a polling station in Bhadabher claimed that nobody had forcefully stopped any female from casting vote. He claimed that it was a tradition in these areas for the women not to cast votes.
Its worth mentioning that the Election Commission had issued circulars to the administration of all the tribal agencies to ensure women’s polling. However, due to strict posture adopted by the tribal elders the plan could not be materialized.
