In election manifestos, Pakistani religious parties push for women’s empowerment, right to inheritance

Muslim women walk along a road in Lahore, Pakistan, on June 18, 2023. (AFP/File)
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Updated 01 February 2024
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In election manifestos, Pakistani religious parties push for women’s empowerment, right to inheritance

  • Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan collectively secured 4.7 million votes in 2018 polls 
  • Analysts say the JUI and TLP have targeted the religious vote bank, while Jamaat-e-Islami offered a ‘solution-based’ manifesto 

KARACHI: Pakistan’s three major religious parties have promised to ensure women’s empowerment and their right to inheritance in their election manifestos, with analysts noting that at least one of them offered solutions to women’s issues in Pakistan. 

With less than a week left before millions of Pakistanis head to ballot boxes to elect their representatives for the next five years on Feb. 8, nearly all political parties have unveiled their manifestos and pledged to improve lives of people through various measures and initiatives. 

The three religious parties, including the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), have assured of safeguarding women’s rights and ensuring equal employment opportunities for them among other things in their election manifestos. 

In the 2018 general elections, the JUI secured nine seats, followed by the JI with three seats, and although the TLP could not win any parliamentary seat, it garnered 2.2 million votes nationwide. Collectively, the three parties amassed 4.7 million votes. 

In the past, the JUI and JI, which were affiliated with the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) alliance, formed coalition governments in the center and in Balochistan after the 2002 elections, while the alliance governed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. The JI has been a part of the PTI-led government in KP from 2013 till 2018, while the JUI has also joined other ruling coalitions in the past. 

But despite limited successes, these parties have managed to impact electoral outcomes and underscored their significance in Pakistan’s politics. The JUI was instrumental in bringing a no-trust vote against former prime minister Imran Khan in April 2022 and the subsequent formation of a coalition government by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance. 

In its election manifesto, the JI said those denying women their share in property and wealth would not be allowed to participate in elections if it came to power. 

“Immediate steps will be taken to give women the share of property from her father or husband’s property according to Shariah,” the JI manifesto read. 

In many parts of Pakistan, women are often denied a share in property and wealth, despite Pakistan’s constitution and Shariah, the Islamic law, guaranteeing them. 

The Pakistani government has considered various legislative measures to provide women with a share of property so that they might not have to fight for it in courts. 

In 2021, the government introduced the Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act that aimed to ensure the protection of women’s inheritance right by the state. The legislation, adopted by all Pakistani provinces, allows women to file complaints with an ombudsperson to have their property right issues resolved swiftly. 

However, many women have still not been able to exercise these rights due to a lack of strict implementation of laws. 

The JI in its manifesto promised to end the tradition of dowry, killing of women in the name of “honor” and take steps to financially empower them. 

“Steps will be taken to provide the working women a safe environment. Age relaxation will be given to a widow and divorced woman for government jobs,” it read. 

“Laws will be made to encourage small industries. Women will be helped become financially strong by making them skillful.” 

In its election manifesto, the JUI said it would take “practical steps” for the safety of women and provide them with equal education and employment opportunities. 

The TLP manifesto said the party would establish a “special institution” for the protection of women’s rights and provide them their “legal and Shariah rights.” 

While these parties touched upon different issues, analysts believed the JI had offered a “solution-based” manifesto, while the JUI and the TLP had been more focused on their religious vote. 

“The manifestos of two other religious parties (the JUI and the TLP) are basically meant to attract the religious vote bank,” said Ajmal Jami, a Lahore-based television host and analyst. 

He said the TLP’s manifesto was straight-forward, focusing primarily on a singular theme. 

“They are not asking the state for certain measures other than the basic resolve that is about the last Prophet [Muhammad} and the importance of their belief,” Jami told Arab News. 

Since its inception in 2015, the TLP has extensively campaigned in favor of the finality of Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), which forms the bases of its ideology. 

“Other than this very basic point, there’s nothing concrete, they are trying to also address the importance of free electricity, but they are unable to tell us that how they would do that,” Jami said. 

The analyst called the JUI’s manifesto “concerning.” 

“The JUI’s manifesto is concerning, it is a very hardcore manifesto. And perhaps this is how the JUI’s religious politics can be discussed,” he said, adding the Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman led party believed that “none other than a Muslim belonging to their sect” should be up there at important posts, such as the prime minister or the president. 

“They have categorically written it in their manifesto about this very point,” he said. “And this might be and should be a problem or a matter of pain for minorities to equal Pakistanis.” 

Muhammad Sami, a JUI spokesperson, said his party fully supported religious freedom of minorities and it was stressed in the manifesto as well. 

“Our manifesto also advocates for the complete separation of the judiciary from administration and calls for changes in the law to align with Shariah principles,” Sami said. 

“Additionally, it advocates for freedom of the press, provincial autonomy, tax exemption for essential food items, equalization of daily wages to the value of one tola (12 grams) of gold, free education, and free health care.” 

It was also aimed at ending the control of a “few individuals” over the economy, confiscating wealth acquired through illegal means, and introducing an Islamic economic system, he added. 

Wakil-ur-Rehman, a Karachi-based analyst with a focus on religious groups, agreed with Jami and said the JUI and TLP’s voters fully subscribed to what these parties were selling to them in their manifestos. 

“The TLP was fifth largest vote-taker in 2018... it got these votes due to its hard-line stance on cartoons and other sacrilegious content [published internationally],” Rehman said. “Similarly, the language and slogans used by the JUI are bought by its targeted voters.” 

He, however, hailed both parties for addressing the women’s issues. 


Pakistan vows to facilitate Chinese investors in Special Economic Zones

Updated 24 November 2024
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Pakistan vows to facilitate Chinese investors in Special Economic Zones

  • China, a major ally of Islamabad, has pledged $65 billion for a massive economic corridor project in Pakistan
  • Chinese investment and financial support since 2013 have been key for Pakistan’s struggling, fragile economy

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Privatization Minister Abdul Aleem Khan promised to facilitate Chinese investors in Special Economic Zones (SEZs), state media reported this week as Islamabad eyes foreign investment in vital sectors to sustain growth and avoid a macroeconomic crisis.
SEZs are usually subject to different and more favorable economic regulations compared to other parts of the same country, which include tax incentives and the opportunity to pay lower tariffs.
China, a major ally and investor in Pakistan, has pledged over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. CPEC is a part of the Belt and Road Initiative, a massive China-led infrastructure project that aims to connect various countries around the globe through trade. 
“Federal Minister for Privatization and Communications Abdul Aleem Khan says the Board of Investment will provide all facilities to Chinese investors including sale and transfer of land in Special Economic Zones,” Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday. 
Khan, as per the state-run media, was presiding over a meeting in Lahore to discuss difficulties being faced by investors in SEZs. 
“He directed to resolve all problems being faced in the Special Economic Zones across the country,” the state broadcaster said. 
Chinese investment and financial support since 2013 have been key for Pakistan’s struggling economy, including the rolling over of loans so that Islamabad is able to meet external financing needs at a time its foreign reserves are low.
Though time-tested allies, recent security challenges have put a slight strain on Pakistan’s ties with China. Separatist militants have attacked Chinese projects in Pakistan over the past few months, killing Chinese personnel.
In October, a suicide blast claimed by the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) killed three people in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi, including two Chinese nationals, who were targeted in the attack.
Five Chinese workers were killed in a suicide bombing in March this year, which was the third major attack on Chinese interests in Pakistan in a week.
China has called on Islamabad to ensure security for its citizens in Pakistan. The South Asian nation has in turn sought to ease Chinese fears, vowing to provide fool-proof security to its citizens living and working in the country.


82 killed in three days of Pakistan sectarian violence

Updated 24 November 2024
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82 killed in three days of Pakistan sectarian violence

  • Mobile network across Kurram is suspended and traffic on main highway remains halted amid tensions
  • Around 300 families fled on Saturday as gunfights with light and heavy weapons continued into the night

PESHAWAR: Three days of bitter sectarian gunfights in northwestern Pakistan have killed at least 82 people and wounded 156 more, a local official said Sunday.
Pakistan is a Sunni-majority country but Kurram district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province — near the border with Afghanistan — has a large Shiite population and the communities have clashed for decades.
The latest bout of violence began on Thursday when two separate convoys of Shiite Muslims traveling under police escort were ambushed, killing at least 43 and sparking two days of gunbattles.
“The clashes and convoy attacks on November 21, 22, and 23 have resulted in 82 fatalities and 156 injuries,” said a local administration official speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Among the deceased 16 were Sunni, while 66 belonged to the Shia community,” he told AFP.
Around 300 families fled on Saturday as the gunfights with both light and heavy weapons continued into the night, however no fresh casualties were reported on Sunday morning.
“The mobile network across Kurram remains suspended and traffic on the main highway is halted,” said the local administration official.
Police have regularly struggled to stymy violence in Kurram, which was part of the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas until it was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018.
A delegation from the provincial government held talks with the Shiite community on Saturday and is scheduled to meet the Sunni community later on Sunday.
A security official in the provincial capital of Peshawar told AFP the negotiators’ helicopter had come under fire as it arrived in the region, although no one was harmed.
“Our priority today is to broker a ceasefire between both sides. Once that is achieved, we can begin addressing the underlying issues,” provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam Afridi said Sunday.
Last month at least 16 people, including three women and two children, were killed in a sectarian clash in Kurram.
Previous clashes in July and September killed dozens of people and ended only after a jirga, or tribal council, called a ceasefire.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 79 people died between July and October in sectarian clashes.
Several hundred people demonstrated against the violence on Friday in Pakistan’s second largest city of Lahore and Karachi, the country’s commercial hub.


Pakistan’s Iram Parveen Bilal bags Best Director award for ‘Wakhri’ at Indian film festival

Updated 24 November 2024
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Pakistan’s Iram Parveen Bilal bags Best Director award for ‘Wakhri’ at Indian film festival

  • Wakhri, meaning one of a kind, is inspired by life of murdered Pakistani social media star Qandeel Baloch
  • Yellowstone International Film Festival is an Indian festival that showcases films from around the world

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani director Iram Parveen Bilal this week bagged the Best Director Feature Film award at the fifth Yellowstone International Film Festival, held in India’s New Delhi, for her film “Wakhri.”
Wakhri, meaning one of a kind in the Punjabi language, was inspired by the life of murdered Pakistani social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch. The film’s plot revolves around the challenges faced by a widowed schoolteacher named Noor, who becomes a social media sensation overnight. 
Yellowstone International Film Festival is an Indian film festival that showcases films from around the world, providing a platform for filmmakers. With special categories such as women empowerment films, environmental films and student films, this year’s YIFF was held from Nov. 15-20 in New Delhi. 
“Thank you for the honor, [YIFF] jury and organizers,” Bilal wrote on Instagram on Thursday. “[Wakhri] shines brightest with its audiences. Deep gratitude to my entire team, cast and crew alike, for enhancing my vision every step of the way.”
Wakhri had its world premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival in December 2023 before its release in Pakistan on Jan. 5 this year. 
Written by Bilal and Mehrub Moiz Awan, Wakhri has been produced by Abid Aziz Merchant, Apoorva Bakshi and Bilal’s Parveen Shah Productions.
The film stars prominent Pakistani actress Faryal Mehmood in the lead role, Gulshan Mated, Sajjad Gul, Salem Mairaj, Sohail Sameer, Bakhtawar Mazhar, Akbar Islam, Tooba Siddiqui, Behjat Nizami and Bushra Habib.


Pakistan reports three new polio cases, pushing 2024 tally to 55

Updated 24 November 2024
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Pakistan reports three new polio cases, pushing 2024 tally to 55

  • Two cases reported from southwestern Balochistan province, one from northwestern KP 
  • Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country

PESHAWAR: Pakistan has reported three new cases of poliovirus, two from the southwestern Balochistan province and one from the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the country’s polio eradication program said on Sunday, pushing this year’s total tally of cases to an alarming 55. 
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. The nation’s polio eradication campaign has faced serious problems with a spike in reported cases this year that have prompted officials to review their approach to stopping the crippling disease.
On Friday, Pakistan reported two poliovirus cases from the KP province. 
“The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the detection of three wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases in Pakistan, bringing the number of total cases in the country this year to 55,” the polio eradication program said in a statement. 
Two out of the three cases were reported from Balochistan’s Zhob and Jaffarabad districts while one was reported from the northwestern Dera Ismail Khan district. 
The program said that D.I. Khan is one of the seven polio-endemic districts of southern KP which has now reported six polio cases this year. Zhob has reported its third polio infection while Jaffarabad its second this year.
Out of a total of 55 cases reported this year, Pakistan has reported 26 from Balochistan, 14 from KP, 13 from Sindh and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Poliovirus, which can cause crippling paralysis particularly in young children, is incurable and remains a threat to human health as long as it has not been eradicated. Immunization campaigns have succeeded in most countries and have come close in Pakistan, but persistent problems remain.
In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases. Six cases were reported in 2023 and only one in 2021.
Pakistan’s polio program began in 1994 but efforts to eradicate the virus have since been undermined by vaccine misinformation and opposition from some religious hard-liners, who say immunization is a foreign ploy to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western spies. Militant groups also frequently attack and kill members of polio vaccine teams. 
Pakistan’s chief health officer this month said an estimated 500,000 children had missed polio vaccinations during a recent countrywide inoculation drive due to vaccine refusals.
“Considering the intense polio outbreak, it is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected,” the program said.


Pakistan’s religion ministry launches ‘Pak Hajj 2025’ app to facilitate pilgrims

Updated 24 November 2024
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Pakistan’s religion ministry launches ‘Pak Hajj 2025’ app to facilitate pilgrims

  • Pilgrims will be able to review Hajj training and flight schedules via app, says ministry
  • Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2025

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s religious affairs ministry on Sunday announced it had launched the “Pak Hajj 2025” mobile application to guide and facilitate pilgrims about the annual Islamic pilgrimage next year.
Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage. Around 15 designated Pakistani banks on Monday started receiving applications for Hajj 2025 from intending pilgrims.
Pakistani pilgrims used the app, which is available for both Android and iPhone, last year to secure important updates and information about the Hajj pilgrimage. 
“The Ministry of Religious Affairs has launched the mobile app ‘Pak Hajj’ for the awareness of Hajj pilgrims,” the religion ministry said in a statement. 
“Hajj applicants will remain informed step-by-step through the Pak Hajj app.”
The ministry said pilgrims can view their Hajj training schedules, including dates, times, and locations, through the app, which also displays flight details with flight numbers, departure cities, dates, and times for both departure and return flights. 
The app also presents information about Makkah and Madinah’s various locations and routes with the help of maps, the ministry said. 
Pakistan’s religious affairs minister this month announced the country’s Hajj 2025 policy, according to which pilgrims can pay fees for the annual Islamic pilgrimage in installments for the first time.
The first installment of Hajj dues, amounting to Rs200,000 ($717), must be deposited along with the Hajj application under the government scheme, while the second installment of Rs400,000 ($1,435) must be deposited within ten days of the balloting. The remaining amount must be deposited by Feb. 10 next year.