Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA Chaudhry Amjad Ali Javed has called for giving women a double vote.
Speaking at a seminar on Participation of Women in Electoral Process at National Level organised by the South Asia Partnership (SAP) on Thursday, he said, “Women should be given the right to vote for general seats as well as a vote to pick women candidates.”
He said this would be better than giving them (women) representation in parliament on reserve seats.
He said women representative in the parliament through reserve seats were picked by the leaders of the political parties doing well in general elections.
Another PML-N MPA Mian Muhammad Rafiq said, “Women from well-off families find it easy to join and make a place for themselves in politics. Those who struggle for the rights of the poor never reach to the assemblies.”
He said he would continue to support women’s causes in the assembly.
Former Toba Tek Singh district nazim and PTI leader Chaudhry Muhammad Ashfaq demanded that 2001 local government system be restored. The system gave representation to women in local councils, he said. Ashfaq said, “PTI had given proper representation to the women in both parliament and party offices.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 19th, 2013.