Despite cold weather conditions, the electioneering campaign has started gearing up in the country, including Khyber Pakthunkhwa (KP), where over 128.585 million registered voters, including 59.322 million females and 69.263 million males, will decide the fate of 175 political parties in the 2024 general election.
In KP, a total of 21.928 million voters, including 11.437 million males and 9.983 million females, would exercise their right of franchise in favor of their political parties and independent candidates for the next five years. Prof. Dr. A.H. Hilali, former Chairman, Political Science Department, University of Peshawar, told APP on Saturday that female voters’ role during the 2024 election would be crucial, and any political party that gets women voters’ attention would get an edge over others on February 8 polling day.
He said the low turnout among female voters remains a persistent challenge, especially in the merged tribal districts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa, the southern districts of Punjab, rural Sindh, and the Baloch belt in Balochistan. He said that in cases of rainfall, rain, and harsh weather, bringing voters to Chitral, Dir, Swat, North Waziristan, and Parachinar districts would be a big challenge for political parties.
“I eagerly await to cast my first vote in the February 8, 2024, election,” said Sidra Qaiser, a young voter and school teacher in Nowshera district, while talking to APP. She said casting the vote was a national obligation, and she would vote for a political party’s candidate after seeing its manifesto.—APP
