islamabad - Three political and social activists of Islamabad yesterday approached the Islamabad High Court seeking allocation of women reserved seats of National Assembly for the federal capital.
The petitioners including Amina Sadaf, Farkhanda Koukeb and Saba Afzal moved the petition through their counsel Waqar Hanif Abbasi Advocate and cited President of Pakistan through Principal Secretary, Prime Minister through Principal Secretary, Speaker National Assembly, Secretary NA, Chief Election Commissioner, Chairperson National Commission on the Status of Women of Pakistan and Secretary Law as respondents. They stated in the petition that the population of Capital Territory of Islamabad (ICT) is around 2.1 million out of which 50 per cent is comprised of women but surprisingly there is no representation of women in Islamabad on reserved seats. Petitioner’s counsel Waqar Hanif adopted in the petition that as per Article 51 of Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, seats chart of each province, the Federal Administrative Tribal Areas (FATA) and the Federal Territory is well mentioned but surprisingly column for reserved seats of women is fell vacant. He added that despite being located in Islamabad, the women are not provided any sort of opportunities, representation, contribution and participation by the constitution and law of the land.
“No sort of allocation, quota and reservation in any walk of life is provided to the women of the areas by the constitution and law of the land to bring them at par with the women of other parts of the country. The fact remains that the constitution secures the fundamental rights of its citizens and Pakistan is also signatory to various International Conventions and Treaties which are aimed at assuring the participation, representation and contribution of women,” maintained Abbasi. He mentioned that this action of the respondents is against Article 3, 4, 8,9, 25, 26, 27, 32 of the Constitution of the land 1973.
The counsel argued that the omissions and commissions of the respondents are illegal, unlawful, and void and against the fundamental provisions enshrined in the Constitution, therefore needs the interference of this court.
He said that non-allocation of reserved quota in Parliament i.e. National and Province Assembly is violation of fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution and hence resulted in deprivation of women of Capital Territory of Islamabad from representation, contribution and participation. The action is not in consonance with the scheme and rationale of the equality and equity. He contended that equality is the golden principle of Islamic law and non-allocation of reserved seats for the Capital Territory of Islamabad is against the scheme of international conventions and treaties ratified and adopted by the Government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. If seats in the National Assembly of Pakistan are not allocated, the women of the Capital Territory would stand deprived of their rights in violation to the natural principles of natural justice.
Therefore, as an interim relief, the petitioners requested the court to direct the respondents to allocate reserved seats for the women of Capital Territory of Islamabad in National assembly of Pakistan for the forthcoming elections.
They also prayed to the court an appropriate writ may please be issued that non-allocation of reserved seats for women of Islamabad in National Assembly by the respondents, as illegal, unlawful, against the constitution and fundamental rights and direct the respondents to allocate the reserved seats for women of the Capital in National Assembly as per their population/seats.
