Daily Times

KARACHI: More than 20,700 women of District South cannot register to vote in the upcoming elections because they have not been issued a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC), a survey report of Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) has revealed.

The PPF, a member of the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), has requested the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take urgent steps so that these women can exercise their right to vote in the coming general elections.

The findings of the survey were shared with the public at a press conference held on Friday jointly by the PPF and the FAFEN under the title of “Improving Women’s Participation in Electoral Process”.

Project Coordinator Naseem Akhtar Sheikh said that during July 2017 to April 2018 the PPF had found more than 22,000 women in District South who were not issued CNICs.

“PFF assisted 1,300 women in getting their CNICs and more than 3,000 others in reaching the NADRA centers of District South so that they could be registered as voters.

“PPF during a special drive of ECP for registration of voters, also went house-to-house in 125 statistical blocks of District South to pinpoint the women who were not issued the CNICs. With assistance of ECP and NADRA officials many of these women were facilitated in issuance of CNICs and getting registered as voters, either at their doorstep or at the nearest registration centres. A mobile van of NADRA was arranged for fulltime and another for part time basis to expedite this process. Officials of NADRA Center at Chakiwara, Lyari extended valuable cooperation in this regard.”

He said, “PPF also facilitated six vision-impaired male and female members of a family in getting their CNICs. Moreover, 240 non-Muslim women were also assisted to get their CNICs.

“Union Council chairmen Tajuddin, Amjad Aba and Haji Hassan, councilors Safiya, Ameen Baloch and Orangzeb, besides District Election Commission South Samiullah, Deputy Director (operations) Maqsood Ahmed and other officials of NADRA fully facilitated PFF. Ms. Shaikh said that without their cooperation it would be impossible to facilitate so many women in getting their CNICs and vote registration.”

The PPF appealed to the authorities concerned to do the needful so that those out-of-electoral-rolls could exercise their right to vote in the upcoming general elections.

Published in Daily Times, April 28^th 2018.