Bajaur’s Sultanat Bibi for Making History by Winning PA Seat

Fazal Rahman

Bajaur: Sultanate Bibi vows to make history by winning the Provincial Assembly PK-21 seat in Bajaur Tehsil Utmankhel in the forthcoming elections on February 8.

“My manifesto includes the establishment of educational institutions and health centres and creating employment opportunities for women in my region,” said Sultanate Bibi in her interview with thepenpk.com.

Sultanat Bibi is the first female candidate contesting for the Provincial Assembly in Bajaur for the upcoming general elections. She is optimistic that women and men in the area will support her.

Haroon Rasheed, a Jamaat-e-Islami (JI)-nominated candidate for the NA-8 National Assembly from Bajaur, acknowledged that there was relatively low participation of women in elections observed in 2018, emphasising the importance of addressing this imbalance.

Rasheed emphasised that, despite the challenges, JI recognises the significance of women’s votes in national growth, given that women constitute half of the population. He claimed that his party consistently strives to increase women’s participation in the electoral process.

When questioned about efforts to raise awareness among women voters, the JI leader said that his party stands out as the only political party that assigns tasks to its workers before each election to educate women about the voting process.

He explained that his party workers visit women in their homes and neighbourhoods and provide information on how to cast their votes. They also stress the importance of ensuring that no household neglects the participation of women in the voting process.

Addressing the issue of women’s turnout, Sultanat Bibi expressed her commitment to launching an awareness campaign in the area. She intends to encourage all women to exercise their voting rights.

Bibi conveyed a message to women in the area, encouraging them to overcome fear and hesitation and adding that women can contribute just as effectively as men if they actively participate in the electoral process.

Another 53-year-old local woman, requesting not to be named, said that she recently visited the local NADRA office to renew her ID card.

She expressed a lack of awareness regarding the importance of women’s participation in the voting process, adding that on election day, they know that the voting is taking place but are not encouraged to vote, and no one really takes time out to explain to them the significance of women casting votes alongside men. Neither she nor anyone in her household or neighbouring community has ever cast their vote.

She admitted that she lacks knowledge about the electoral process, highlighting a broader lack of awareness within her community regarding the role of voting in electing representatives to make things better for the region.

According to data obtained from the ECP Bajaur office, in the 2018 elections for NA-40 Tribal Area One of Bajaur, only 40 percent of registered voters participated, while 60 percent abstained from voting.

The constituency had a total of 255,579 voters, with 148,400 men and 107,179 women. Of the total, 104,577 votes were cast, comprising 76,676 men votes and 27,856 women votes.

It merits mentioning that an estimated 151,002 voters chose not to exercise their right to vote in this constituency in the last elections.

District Election Commissioner Ajmal Hafeez highlighted various initiatives aimed at increasing women’s turnout in Bajaur. He mentioned that numerous campaigns and awareness walks were conducted to encourage greater participation in the elections. On National Voters Day, celebrated on December 7, seminars were also organized emphasizing the crucial role of women in voting.

Ajmal further said that if the female voter turnout is less than 10 percent, re-polling will be scheduled for the same constituency.

To address gender disparities, Hafeez outlined plans for the upcoming elections, revealing the establishment of 10 separate polling stations for women and 12 for men. He briefed that a total of 1,082 polling booths would be set up district-wide, comprising 669 for men and 413 for women. Additionally, each women’s booth will be staffed by two women officials.

Meanwhile, residents of Badalai village in Tehsil Mamond, Bajaur, have collectively announced their boycott of all parties and upcoming general elections. The villagers express frustration, citing unfulfilled promises made by political parties during the previous elections.

Bakht Muhammad, a 27-year-old resident, emphasized the repeated failure of elected representatives to address the development needs of the area after winning elections.

Gulzar, another 30-year-old resident, shared similar sentiments, emphasizing that voting in the past has not translated into meaningful development for the region. He said that the decision to boycott the election was unanimous among local elders and youths. It was a collective and independent choice made by the community without outside pressure.

When questioned about the voter turnout and development initiatives in Bajaur, former MNA Gul Zafar Khan highlighted his extensive development work across various areas in Bajaur. He acknowledged that while he has initiated significant projects, some individuals approach him seeking personal favours.

Gul Zafar emphasized that he has ensured the construction of Link Roads and PCC Roads in every village, leaving no area untouched.

Addressing the issue of low women’s turnout during elections, Gul Zafar said that he always urges his supporters to involve women in the electoral process, aiming to prevent low turnout among women in the region.

He attributed the low participation of women to the overall lack of emphasis on the importance of voting among the electorate.

Zafar Khan admitted that, historically, women’s voter turnout in Bajaur was nearly non-existent before the 2018 election. However, he noted a positive change following a Supreme Court decision mandating a ten percent female voter turnout in each constituency.

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Public representatives were compelled to encourage and facilitate women’s participation, leading to a noticeable improvement in turnout. While women’s voting was limited in 2013, the 2018 election witnessed a significant increase in women’s voter turnout for the first time in Bajaur, Khan added.

In the Bajaur Elections 2018, only 38 percent of the population participated, with 62 percent abstaining from voting in NA-41 Tribal Area Two of Bajaur. The total vote count in constituency NA-41 was 237,153, comprising 140,558 men and 96,595 women.

Out of this, 90,512 votes were cast, with 65,442 men voters and 25,070 women voters. This revealed a significant gender disparity, with a notably lower number of female voters compared to males.

In 2019, the merged districts held elections for the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly for the first time. In Bajaur constituency (PK-100), there were 156,237 registered voters, including 61,300 women and 94,937 men. A total of 51,255 votes were cast.

Similarly, in constituency PK-101, there were 161,047 registered voters, with 94,349 males and 66,698 females. The total votes cast in this constituency amounted to 46,622. Moving on to PK-102, the constituency had 216,719 registered voters, with 125,358 males and 91,361 females. The votes cast in this constituency reached 66,579.

Discussing the significance of voting, District Election Commissioner Ajmal Hafeez emphasized its importance in Bajaur. To underscore the value of voting, the Election Commission of Pakistan annually observes National Voter’s Day on December 7.

As part of these efforts, seminars and programs are organized in schools throughout different months to raise awareness about the importance of participating in the democratic process, Ajmal added.

Abdul Jawad, a resident of Sharifkhana in Navagai area of Bajaur, addressed the issue of insufficient women staff on election day by explaining that local customs in Bajaur pose a challenge.

Jawad pointed out that, in accordance with regional norms, a limited number of individuals permit women to exercise their voting rights. Specifically, in situations where polling stations lack female staff, households tend to refrain from allowing women to leave their homes to cast their votes.

Jawad expressed his fear that if female staff not appointed at female polling stations in the upcoming elections, it may further reduce the rate of women participation.

Fazal Rahman is a contributor based in Bajaur, KP. All information and facts provided are the sole responsibility of the writer.

Translated and edited by Wraa Noor.

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