ISLAMABAD: In the recent by-elections held in the cities of Mardan and Mianwali, women were prevented from voicing their opinions and were deterred from casting votes by Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), alleges Tahira Noor, reported Dawn.com on Tuesday.

Tahira Noor, Communication Manager at National Commission on the Status of Women-Pakistan (NCSW) alleges that, “the political parties did not facilitate women and stopped them from casting their votes.”

“The local leaders made public announcements in the mosques and other places to discourage women from voting. In fact this is not the first time that such an incident has taken place. In the previous by-elections held in Kohistan and Shangla, the same ‘campaign’ was adopted by the local leaders,” added Noor.

Noor claims that NCSW has been writing letters to the Election Commission of Pakistan for the past three years however the commission does not even respond to the written complaints lodged by the organisation.

The commission said it was regrettable that nothing tangible had been done so far by the Election Commission.

Noor reiterated that feudal and patriarchal systems play an important role in our society. Women are either ordered to cast their votes in favour of a particular political faction or if they try to raise their own opinion, they are deterred from casting their votes altogether.

The NCSW regretted that women in Pakistan were still deprived of their basic democratic, political and economic rights.