28 pct reduction in registered voters

PILDAT expresses concern at 45 % drop in Women Voters in NWFP; 96 % in FATAs

Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development And Transparency – PILDAT has expressed grave concern at the drastic reduction in female voters in the NWFP which has seen the number of registered female voters decreasing by 45 per cent from 3.92 million in 2002 to 2.17 million in 2007. In contrast to this significant reduction in women voters, the male voters in the province have registered a nominal reduction of less than 6 % despite an overall reduction of voters in the country by about 28 %. The number of women voters has registered a drastic decrease of 96 % in FATAs, 41 % in Sindh, 37 % in Punjab and 19 % in Islamabad Capital Territory.

In contrast to the other three provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory, Balochistan has registered an increase in women voters but the increase appears too good to be real. The number of registered women voters has increased by 144 % from about 470,000 in 2002 to 1.14 million in 2007 in Balochistan. The male voters in Balochistan have also registered an extra-ordinary increase by 104 %. Another significant finding of PILDAT analysis is that the percentage reduction in the women voters in the country is more than twice the reduction in male voters. While the number of women voters has dropped by 39 %, male voters have dropped by 18 %. This has led to shrinking of the share of women voters in the total number of voters. The women voters, which constituted 40 % of the total voters in 2002, have shrunk to 30 % of the total voters in 2007.

PILDAT analysis is based on the break-up of 2002 Electoral Rolls and 2007 Preliminary Computerised Electoral Rolls both of which are released by the ECP. PILDAT expressed surprise at omission of FATA voters from the break-up of 2007 Preliminary Computerised Electoral Rolls given in the ECP Press Release of June 5, 2007. PILDAT has already expressed concern at an overall reduction in the number of voters in the country from 71.86 Million in 2002 to 52.1 Million in 2007.

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