Eight women secure general seats in National Assembly

ISLAMABAD: Eight women out of 171 contestants secured a general seat in National Assembly, giving an opportunity to highlight miseries of marginalized segments and protect the rights of women at grassroots level besides giving an edge to women parliamentarians on reserved seats.

According to the data collected by National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) from Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) website, a total of 464 women contested for general seats in the National and Provincial Assemblies. Of these 175 women campaigned as independent candidates and 289 women on political party tickets.

Election act 2017 fixed five per cent quota to women on general seats by all political parties, on general seats for provincial assemblies, eight women won the elections out of 296 total women candidates for provincial assemblies.

Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians gave maximum number of tickets to women (41), whereas Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) gave 39 tickets and Pakistan Muslim League gave 36 tickets to women.

Among other parties, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) gave 35 tickets to women, Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) gave 23 tickets, Awami National Party gave 17 tickets, Pak Serzameen Party gave 13 tickets, Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek (AAT) gave 11 tickets, National Party (NP) gave 8 tickets, All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) gave 8 tickets and Grand Democratic Alliance gave 7 tickets to women on national and provincial polls.

Those who won the elections on National Assembly Seats include Zartaj Gul (PTI) from NA-191, Dera Ghazi Khan, Fehmida Mirza (GDA) from NA-230 Badin, Shams un Nisa (PPPP) from NA-223 Thatta, Nafisa Shah (PPPP) from NA-208 Khairpur, Ghulam Bibi Bharwana (PTI) from NA-115, Shazia Mari (PPPP) NA- 216 Sanghar, Zubaida Jalal (BAP) from NA-271 Balochistan and Mehnaz Akbar Aziz (PML-N) from NA-77 Narowal.

At provincial level, 5 women contestants from PPPP won elections including Faryal Talpur from PS-10, Azra Fazal Pechuho from PS-37, Saleem Bibi from PS 96, Ashifa Riaz from PS 122 and Sonia from PP 123.

Two independent candidates including Kishwar Zehra from PS 125 and Syeda Maimanat Mohsin (Jugnu Mohsin) from PP-184 made it to provincial assemblies. One women contestant from PML N Naghma Mushtaq won elections from PP-223.