F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: Despite cold weather conditions, the electioneering campaign have started gearing up in the country including Khyber Pakthunkhwa where over 128.585 million registered voters includes 59.322 million female and 69.263 million male would decide fate of 175 politcal parties in general election 2024.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a total of 21.928 million voters including 11.437 million male and 9.983 million female would exercise their right of franchise in favour of their political parties and independent candidates for next five years. Prof Dr. A.H. Hilali, former Chairman, Political Science Department, University of Peshawar told APP on Saturday that female voters’ role during election 2024 would be crucial and any politcal party that get women voters’ attention would get an edge over others on February 8 polling day.
He said the low turnout among female voters remains a persistent challenge especially in merged tribal districts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa, southern districts of Punjab, rural Sindh and Baloch belt in Balochistan. He said in case of rainfall, rains and harsh weather, bringing voters in Chitral, Dir, Swat, North Waziristan and Parachinar districts would be a big challenge for political parties.
“I eagerly await to poll my first vote on February 8, 2024 election,” said Sidra Qaiser, a young voter/school teacher of Nowshera district while talking to APP. She said casting of vote was a national obligation and she would vote a politcal party’s candidate after seeing its manfestio. Professor Dr. HIlali said all eyes would be on voters turnout in 2024 election after the overall turnout rates for the elections in 2008, 2013, and 2018 were 45 percent, 54 percent, and 50 percent, respectively
He said the women voters turnout in the 2018 general elections stood at 40 percent with 21 of 46 million registered women voters participating in polling. “The politcal parties need a lot of work to mobilize women voters as about 40% of female vote on the average which is considerably low as per international standards.”
Besides political parties, he said ECP, civil society and caretaker governments require to strengthen coordination to mobalize voters for election 2024. He said people of Pakistan have seen the performance of almost all mainstream political parties including PPP, PML-N, JUIF, ANP, Jumat e Islami, PTI and MQM in last two decades and voters are now closely seeing what are new in its election manifestos. He said PPP leadership was taking credit of BISP, 1973 constitution, development works in Sindh and 18th constitutional amendment besides a new slogan of constructing three million houses for poor.
He said PML-N was advocating for constructing motorways, lawari tunnel, restoration of peace in KP, Karachi and atomic tests at Chagi in 1998. Similarly, ANP was trying to attract voters about renaming NWFP as Khyber Pakthunkhwa and construction of universities in the province while PTI leadership was highlighting Sehat Card and BRT.
Dr Zilakat Malik, former Chairman, Economics Department, University of Peshawar said that 2024 election would be totally different from others because no political party was favorite and people would decide the fate of all 175 parties on the basis of their past Govt performances and implementation of election manifestos. He claimed that Istehkam e Pakistan Party and PTI Parliamentarians were the new parties whose leaders were in the field informing masses about their programs and development initiatives if voted to power.
Dr Malik said that free and transparent elections are very important for continuity of democracy and addressing the country’s challenges like economy, climate change issues besides controlling price hike and inflation that adversely affected the common man. He said women were about 50pc of the country’s population and without their active participation, elections and democracy has no meaning.
He said women participation in elections provide the citizens with uniformity managed way to voice their opinions and chose who and what is best for them. Dr. Malik said the citizens are the ultimate authority in any democracy and they can voice their opinion and reject a political party if they do not like its performance while in Govt in the past.
The regular holding of general elections ensures better check on the performance of political parties and accountability. The experts said that a strong participation of women voters would play a key role especially in rural areas of Pakistan and any candidate get their support would get an advantage over others on February 8, 2024 election. (APP)
