Expressing concern over the violation of the law requiring political parties to allocate five percent of tickets to women, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights prompted action from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday. The IHC sought a response from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in light of the UN’s observation.
In the lead-up to the general elections scheduled for Thursday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, issued a statement from Geneva urging Pakistani authorities to ensure a fully free and fair vote while reaffirming their commitment to the democratic process. Turk highlighted the barriers faced by women and minority communities, particularly the Ahmadis, in Pakistan.
Despite 22 percent of seats in the National Assembly being reserved for women, some political parties allegedly failed to meet the legal quota of having five percent of women candidates on their party lists.
Simultaneously, the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court sought a reply from the Election Commission of Pakistan in response to a petition demanding compliance with the statutory provision that mandates political parties to allocate five percent of tickets to women for national and provincial assembly seats. The petitioner named the ECP and several political parties, including PML-N, PPP, ANP, JUI-F, MQM, TLP, and BNP, as respondents.
The UNHCHR statement emphasized the exposure of minority communities, such as Ahmadis, to harassment and violence due to separate voter lists, despite constitutional guarantees of equal rights. The High Commissioner stressed the importance of fair competition among all parties and condemned acts of violence against political parties and candidates.
The Chief Justice, in response to the petition, summoned ECP officials for the next day and directed the registrar’s office to transmit the court order copies to the ECP through a special messenger.
Volker Turk expressed concern about a pattern of harassment, arrests, and prolonged detentions of leaders of PTI and their supporters during the election period, calling on higher courts to review these issues in line with due process and fair trial rights and Pakistan’s international human rights obligations.
He noted 24 reported instances of armed groups staging attacks against political party members in the lead-up to the vote, emphasizing the importance of polls as a moment to reaffirm democracy and ensure the participation of all citizens.
