20,700 women of District South still out of electoral rolls as per survey report

More than 20,700 women of District South Karachi are out of voters lists, mainly because they have not issued computerized national identity cards (CNICs), said a survey report of Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF).

PPF a member of free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) has requested the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take urgent steps so that these women could exercise their right to vote in the coming general elections.

As per details, PPF in collaboration with FAFEN held a press briefing in the Karachi Press Club (KPC) here Friday on “Improving women’s participation in electoral process”.

Project Coordinator Naseem Akhtar Shaikh said PPF, from July 2017 to April 2018 pinpointed more than 22,000 women in District South Karachi who were not issued CNICs.

PFF assisted 1,300 women in getting their CNICs and more than 3,000 others in reaching the NADRA centers of District South so that they could be registered as voters.

PPF during a special drive of ECP for registration of voters, also went house-to-house in 125 statistical blocks of District South to pinpoint the women who were not issued the CNICs. With assistance of EPC and NADRA officials many of these women were facilitated in connection with issuing those CNICs and getting them registered as voters, either at their doorstep or at the nearest registration centers. A mobile van of NADRA was arranged for fulltime and another for part time to expedite this process. Officials of NADRA Center at Chakiwara, Lyari extended valuable cooperation in this regard.

PPF also facilitated six vision-impaired male and female members of a family in getting their CNICs. Moreover, 240 non-Muslim women were also assisted to get their CNICs.

Union Council chairmen Tajuddin, Amjad Aba and Haji Hassan, councilors Safiya, Ameen Baloch and Orangzeb, besides District Election Commission South Samiullah, Deputy Director (operations) Maqsood Ahmed and other officials of NADRA fully facilitated PFF. Ms. Shaikh said that without their cooperation it would be impossible to facilitate so many women in getting their CNICs and vote registration.

However, PPF appealed to the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to do the needful so that these out-of-electoral rolls women could also exercise their right to vote in the coming general elections.