The Election Commission of Pakistan has dismissed the news of a fatwa issued by a group of scholars in the Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against women’s participation in electoral campaigns.
According to a statement issued by the Commission’s spokesperson, various channels reported that a group of scholars in Kohistan had imposed a ban on women running election campaigns by issuing a clear fatwa.
In response to this, the District Monitoring Officer in Kohistan has been requested to submit a report.
According to the Election Commission, the District Officer stated in the report that the news is not accurate, and no local scholars have issued any such fatwa.
The spokesperson further stated that the Election Commission aims to clarify that if any woman is prevented from running an election campaign or casting a vote in the upcoming elections, the Election Commission will take action under Section 9 of the Elections Act.
In such a case, the elections in that constituency may also be declared null and void.
