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Pashtoons to exercise voting rights for first time in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD. Jan 28: Ethnic Pashtoon tribals in Pakistan are to get a first taste of democracy in next week's national polls using voting rights only just granted to residents of the rugged North West Frontier Province (NWFP) reports AFP
The door ol democracy had previously been shut lor the federally ad ministered tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. But Pakistan's current caretaker government decided to usher in charge alter it was formed in November
None of the previous popular governments elected since the lilting of a decade of martial law in 1985 though It fit to let the tribals take part directly in the electoral process.
Instead, a limited number of tribal chieftains formed an electoral college and chose eight deputies to the Federal National
Assembly.
"The recent dissolution of the National Assembly and change of government proved a blessing in disguise for the trib als said Ifteknar All, a prominent Pashtoon journalist in Peshawar. capital of NWFP.
President Farooq Ahmed Leghari, on the advice of interim Prime Minister Malik MeraJ Khalid, announced universal adult suffrage for the semi-autonomous region last month.
The move should have special significance for tribal women, who. observers say. are widely living In ways reminiscent of the Middle Ages. But female suffrage is strongly opposed by the clearly who have warned women not to vote.
Election officials said a total of 1,563.000 tribals were registered to vote in the February 3
elections called by Leghari after he sacked prime minister Benazir Bhutto and dissolved the assembly on November 5, alleging corruption and misrule.
A mere 20.000 of the enrolled voters are women.
People familiar with the customs of the area say it is unlikely many women would be able to vote.
In Khyber Agency, near Peshawar. capital of NWFP an organisation of tribal religious leaders known as Tanzeeni-i-It-tehad-1-Ulema Bara this week repeated a threat to destroy the house of any woman who ventured out to vote.
But administration officials posted in the region vowed that women willing to exercise their right would be fully protected, with their homes.
Separate polling stations staffed only with female offi-
cials liave been set up.
Feverish canvassing is under way in the tribal areas, with candidates busy addressing public meetings, residents say
Hundreds ol candidates are in the fray for eight seats reserved for the tribals in the 217-member assembly
The tribals are mostly Illiterate and many openly carry arms, but no incident has been reported so far
Pakistan's established political parties have been forbidden from extending their activities to the territory, for fear that their presence might stir up trouble.
Foreigners need a special permit to enter the region, where authorities representing the federal government look after the administration in concert with 'Jlrgas' or tribal councils.