ISLAMABAD: Undeterred by Jamaat-i-Islami’s decision to challenge annulment of by-elections in PK-95 (Lower Dir) by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over disenfranchisement of women voters, the ECP announced on Friday that fresh by-election would be held in the constituency on July 12.

None of the around 53,000 women voters in the constituency turned up to exercise their right to vote during the by-election held on May 7. The seat had fallen vacant because Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq had resigned from it after being elected as a senator.

The ECP took notice of the matter when reports emerged that political parties had in effect barred women from taking part in the electoral exercise and questions were raised about how such polls could be termed free and fair.

On June 2, the ECP announced that it had annulled the by-election held on May 7.

According to the schedule announced by the ECP for the fresh by-election, the returning officer will issue a notice inviting nominations on June 8. Nomination papers will be filed on June 15 and 16 and scrutinised on June 18 and 19.

June 22 has been fixed as the last date for filing of appeals against rejection or acceptance of nomination papers, which will be decided by a tribunal by June 25.

June 26 will be the last date for withdrawal of candidature. The final list of candidates will be published the same day. And the polling will take place on July 12.

Before the general elections in 2013, the ECP had proposed that a law be enacted to declare polls void in constituencies where less than 10 per cent of the women voters exercised their right to vote. However, for some reason the proposal could not be turned into reality.

Many analysts believe that even in the absence of legislation on the matter, the ECP had the mandate to conduct elections justly and fairly under Article 218 of the Constitution and had the powers to declare elections void for cogent reasons.

Published in Dawn June 6th, 2015

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