LAHORE - If the priority lists of three major political parties regarding reserved seats for women are of any indication, they are surely a reflection of their level of expectations about the number of seats they are eying to grab in the coming elections.
As per legal requirement, these lists were recently submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan by the PML-N, the PPP, the PTI and other parties showing the order of their respective priorities for seats reserved for women in the five legislatures.
In case of Punjab, a province which decides which party will form government in the Centre, the three parties’ expectations about the number of seats they will try to win are quite obvious.
In its priority list for the National Assembly from Punjab, the PML-N has submitted names of 27 women, indicating thereby that it is expecting to 110 general seats from this province out of total 143. If the total number of seats from Punjab are divided by 35 (the total number of reserved seats for women from this province), the calculation comes to 4.08; which means that four general seats are needed to get one women seat.
For Punjab Assembly which has 66 seats reserved for women in a House of 371, the PML-N has submitted names of 54 women, which means it is expecting to win 243 provincial seats. In Punjab Assembly, 4.5 general seats make one seat reserved for women.
In 2013 elections, the PML-N had won 120 National Assembly seats (general seats) from Punjab and over 300 seats in Punjab Assembly. Now it expects to get 110 National Assembly seats from Punjab and 243 in the provincial Assembly.
PPP got only three National Assembly seats from Punjab in 2013 elections.
Now, it is expecting to have 53 National Assembly seats from the biggest province as it has submitted names of 13 women for reserved seats. PPP had won only seven seats for Punjab Assembly back in 2013 elections and now it is expecting to win 67 as it has submitted names of 15 women for the reserved seats in Punjab Assembly.
The same formula about calculation of women seats against the general seats applies here also.
PTI, which won only seven National Assembly seats from Punjab in 2013, is now expecting to obtain 69 seats. It has submitted names of 17 women for the reserved seats from this province. Strangely enough, it is expecting to win all 297 general seats in the Punjab Assembly. It has submitted 66 names for the reserved seats of women from the provincial legislature. In a strange paradox, while the PTI is expecting to win 69 National Assembly seats from Punjab out of total 143, it is expecting to win all the general seats (297) meant for the Punjab Assembly.
MUBASHIR HASSAN
