Pak polls: Transgenders not being allowed to vote in male polling stations in Lahore seat
Lahore, July 25: Pakistan, which went to its general elections on Wednesday, July 25, made headlines ahead of the polling over the evolution of its transgender community.
While 13 transgender candidates were contesting this year's eventful elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan also assigned members of the community the responsibility of observers during the polls, leaving the members elated.
But that the transgender community was yet to cover a distance in Pakistan's political landscape became evident after reports suggested voters from the community were not being allowed to cast ballots in male polling stations in NA-135 constituency in Lahore, Punjab.
Pakistan's leading daily Dawn reported this.
Transgender community filed writ petition in February
In February, the transgender community of Sindh filed a writ petition against the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan and Provincial Election Commissioner under Article 199 of the country's constitution asking the court to direct the poll panel to ensure that the July 25 elections were friendly and inclusive to the transgender community - both as voters and contestants.
In 2013, 500 polling stations saw no women voter
In the 2013 general elections in Pakistan, although the women voters' turnout was around 44 per cent, some 500 polling stations across the country saw not a single woman voter casting ballots.