Zardari calls for enlisting 13 million women voters

ISLAMABAD: Former President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday expressed concern over the missing 13 million women voters from the voters’ list and called upon the government and all relevant state institutions to address the issue in right earnest for the credibility of the 2018 polls.

The former president said this at a briefing by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in Zardari House Islamabad on voters’ registration and other election related issues in the country.

The four member FAFEN team which gave the briefing comprised of Shahid Fayyaz, Mudassir Rizvi, Yasir Javed and Javed Minwa. Secretary General PPP Nayyer Hussain Bokhari, Secretary General PPPP Farhatullah Babar, Secretary Information PPP Chaudhry Manzoor and Information Secretary PPP Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar.

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The meeting was informed that the Election Commission of Pakistan had also stated recently that over 13 million women were not in the voters’ lists and not eligible to vote in the elections.

Zardari said that the voters’ registration issue was important for empowering women by enabling them to participate in the political decision making processes.

He said that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah will also raise the election and delimitation related issues at the meeting of the Council of Common Interests on Monday and present its point of view forcefully.

The former President also demanded to know the figures of above 18 years old in the country both males and females to make a fair assessment as to how many citizens were still not registered voters. The issue of under registration must also be addressed speedily, the former President demanded.

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He also called upon party office bearers to keep watch on the progress made in this regard and to keep him posted regularly.