It may be a tacit agreement, cultural conservatism or political parties’ bias, but the end result of the by-elections in PK-95 Lower Dir has become invalid due to the absence of women voters. Being a citizen and stakeholder, it is the fundamental right of every Pakistani woman to take part in the democratic process. The by-election for the provincial Assembly PK-95, which was vacated by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Emir Sirajul Haq who was elected a Senator, was conducted on May 7. There were a total of 127,096 registered voters in the constituency, including around 53,000 women. The seat was won by JI candidate Izazul Mulk who defeated Awami National Party candidate Haji Bahadur Khan by a narrow margin. The significant aspect of this election was once again the absence of females who were barred from casting votes. A total of 85 polling stations were set up. Out of 266 polling booths, 90 had been specified for female voters. But no female voter was seen on the polling day, reportedly due to an informal agreement among the contesting political parties, and alleged local cultural constraints. It is very unfortunate that none of the 53,000 registered female voters could exercise their constitutional right of voting. The illegal practice of barring women from voting during elections has been prevalent in several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the last many years. Conservative tribal customs and a threat from militants are the main reasons for this ‘ban’. During the 2013 general elections, political parties had barred women from voting in the same area. The justification trotted out about the conservatism of Pashtun society does not stand up to scrutiny. Pashtun society has been amongst the most progressive in the region, with political and social movements at the grassroots level. History is replete with movements like the Khudai Khidmatgar that refute the narrative about Pashtun society being a religious and backward one. It is condemnable that neither the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) nor the political parties took notice of this grave violation of human rights in the by-election. Except the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, no other political party has raised voice over this injustice against women. The female vote can be a game changer for poll outcomes and disallowing them from casting votes is a violation of the constitution. The ECP should nullify the by-election of PK-95 and re-polling should be held in this constituency. It is very unfortunate that when different states are strengthening their democratic set-ups and structures, we are going backwards to the age where male chauvinism is still dominant. There should be a free environment for women voters. No person can be denied his/her right to vote, especially the womenfolk that comprise half the population of Pakistan. *