Islamabad, Feb 4 (PTI) A women's organisation in Pakistan has urged the election commission to take immediate legal action against political parties which have ignored the mandatory women's quota while allotting seats for the February 8 general elections.

It is mandatory for every political party to field at least 5 per cent of women candidates for general seats in the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies. The Aurat Foundation has complained to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take legal action against Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Awami National Party (ANP), Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Balochistan National Party (BNP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for violating the clause in which they must field women candidates, the Dawn newspaper reported.

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Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) name is not mentioned as the party has been deprived of the election symbol.

The four provincial assemblies in which elections will take place are Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan province.

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PPP leader Farhatullah Babar categorically denied the allegation, claiming that the party has fielded more than 5 per cent of female candidates on general seats. He said even in the 2018 elections, PPP fielded over 5 per cent of candidates.

“I doubt that other parties have violated the condition of the ECP as every party has to submit a certificate in the ECP that it has fielded more than 5 per cent women candidates,” he said.

“A majority of the political parties, to meet the condition of the ECP, field women candidates on seats on which they cannot win. PPP is the only party with several female candidates who can win the general seats independently.

Babar said there was a need to start a debate that the winnable seats should be given to women so that there would be more representation of women in Parliament. He said that, even after their nomination on reserved and minority seats, women usually get 18 to 23 per cent of seats in the assemblies.

The Aurat Foundation after reviewing at least eight political parties contesting elections for the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies presented a bleak picture of women's participation in elections.

Section 206 of the Elections Act 2017 states that political parties shall give at least 5 per cent of general seat tickets to women in each assembly. The punishment for violation of any provision of the Elections Act 2017 by the political parties is provided in Section 217 of the law.

Aurat Foundation has complained to ECP, requesting it to take cognisance of the matter with immediate effect and take strict action under Section 217 and other provisions of laws, against the political parties who have violated the provisions of the Election Act 2017 and the Code of Conduct for Political Parties.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)