PESHAWAR: Taliban shura (council) has allowed women voters from South Waziristan Agency area dominated by Ahmadzai Wazirs to exercise their franchise provided that proper purdah arrangements are made at polling stations.

The 120-member peace committee comprising Taliban commanders, and ulema and elders of Ahmadzai Wazir tribe announced a code of conduct for elections in Wana, South Waziristan Agency’s administrative headquarters, before Friday prayer.

Commander Salahuddin Ayubi, successor of Maulvi Mohammad Nazir, who was killed in a US drone strike in January last, heads the committee. Sources said the Taliban shura members also held a meeting in Wana on Thursday night and discussed polling arrangements.

“Women can poll vote on Saturday provided that proper purdah arrangements are made in and outside polling stations,” Amjad Wazir, an activist of Awami National Party in Wana by phone.

The committee decided that if anyone tried to disrupt polling process at any polling station in NA-41, South Waziristan Agency, he would be fined one million rupees cash and his house would be set on fire. Electioneering has remained peaceful in Wana so far.

Major political parties, including Awami National Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, have fielded candidates in the constituency. The committee placed a complete ban on display of all type of weapons and directed candidates and their supporters not to bring arms at polling stations.

“People can vote on their own free will,” it said and warned that nobody had the right to disturb polling process or stop voters from exercising their franchise in the area.

South Waziristan has two National Assembly’s constituencies, NA-41 (Ahmadzai Wazir tribe) and NA-42 (Mehsud tribe and other small clans).

A total of 38 candidates are in the running in the NA-41 constituency and 17 candidates in the NA-42 constituency.

The number of registered voters in NA-41 is 91,192, including 26,727 women, while there are 111,361 registered voters, including 38,858 women, in NA-42.

Displaced voters registered in NA-42 will be facilitated to cast vote at polling stations in Dera Ismail Khan and Tank districts. Polling stations have been set up for IDPs at food distribution points in these districts.

Sources said the authorities had notified establishment of separate polling stations for women in Wana and other areas of South Waziristan. Residents said ulema in their Friday sermons stressed the need for observing peace and patience and cooperate with each other in elections.

Unlike South Waziristan Agency, the fate of women about participation in elections has not been decided in the adjacent North Waziristan Agency until now. There are unconfirmed reports that womenfolk will be barred from casting vote in the volatile North Waziristan Agency on Saturday.