Daily Times

More than 1.5 million physically challenged people and around 15,000 members of transgender community have appealed to government departments concerned and the Election Commission of Pakistan to ensure provision of facilities at polling stations so as to enable them to cast their votes in upcoming polls.

During a wake-up event for political parties, which was organised by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) along with Disabled People and Gender Interactive Alliance, they recounted the difficulties while casting their ballots.

“Lack of special polling booths, long queues with ignorant attitude of waiting voters outside polling stations and objections of polling agents over presence of assisting persons remain foremost among our difficulties,” they lamented.

The participating representatives of the Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz , Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Muttahida Majlis-e-Ammal were asked to facilities the marginalised segments of the society with honour.

They were requested to advise polling agents to honour them just like other voters and even prove themselves as a helping hand.

While talking to Daily Times, Disabled Welfare Association President Jawaid Rais said that space in polling booths is so congested that they face difficulty to put ballot papers into boxes, besides given no priority to vote first being physically disabled.

Madiha Siddiqui, president Women Wing Disabled Welfare Association, was of the view that due to a feeling of insecurity more than 90 percent of such women did not cast their votes. “In addition, assistance in the polling station should also be provided to them,” she requested. Bindiya Rana, a member of transgender community and Sindh focal person, said: “We should be respected by all means at polling stations. We have asked all political parties that we will cast our votes if provided with facilities.”

She claimed that more than 20 percent of them are educated and have right to franchise.

Most of our population is living in Pipri, Abdullah Goth, Akhtar and Manzoor colonies, said.

Published in Daily Times, July 19^th 2018.