A group of Kohistan clerics has issued a fatwa (Islamic decree) against women’s door-to-door election campaign and declared the act an un-Islamic.
A meeting of clerics, mostly affiliated with the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), was held in the Kandia area of Upper Kohistan district.
Following the meeting, Mufti Gul Shahzada, a seminary head, declared: “The women’s act of going door to door to solicit votes is against Shariah.”
He said the fatwa against women’s election campaign was issued by 30 authorised clerics and endorsed by participants, including around 400 clerics from the Kohistan region.
Three women from Kohistan have entered the electoral arena for the first time.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-backed Tehmina Faheem (PK-31 Kohistan-I) and Momina Basit (PK-33 Kolai-Palas) and independent Sannaya Sabeel (PK-33 Kolai-Palas) are contesting the February 8 elections.
Mufti Shahzada said it was sinful to defy the Islamic decree, adding that the Shariah doesn’t allow casting of vote along ethnic lines so voters shouldn’t do so.
“Those casting votes on the ethnic, regional and clan grounds negate Islamic teachings and no such exercise should be carried out in this district,” the mufti added.
The clerics further declared that compelling people on the Holy Quran to vote was a sacrilegious act and should never be exercised.
