A two-day training workshop titled "Skills for Strengthening Electoral Process" was held in the main secretariat of Goher Foundation (Global Organisation for Human Empowerment and Rights), Bahawalpur, in which 50 trainees from the 14 districts of southern Punjab participated.
The resource persons, Miss Shehla Hafeez, Amir Rasool, Muhammad Shehbaz, Nasir Iqbal, Zameer-ud-din, and Miss Rabia Basheer Hashmi while highlighting the purpose of this training workshop gave the participants awareness about the political, democratic and electoral process in Pakistan and talked about the importance of obtaining computerised national identity cards, name registration in voters' list, methodology of vote casting.
They also discussed the role of NGOs in this regard in strengthening electoral process. They further stressed upon the great need of concrete efforts to change 'anti-women cultural attitude' which is the main cause of lack of women participation in electoral process in Pakistan.
At the concluding session of the training workshop, the Chief Executive of Goher Foundation, A.G. Chohan, gave away certificates to the trainees. He also lauded the efforts of master trainers and said that in a democratic system, elections are the most effective, convenient and flexible way to bring soft revolution. Fair and free elections are the guarantee of having a true representative and promote and safeguard the rights, interests and benefits of the masses.
"If our nation intends and is determined to have a true representative and people friendly government, we will have to assure that our election system is free, fair and transparent and no political force is exploiting pre-election and post-election process," he observed. Political parties, he added, must realise their responsibilities and duties and work for assuring the integrity and transparency of their own cadres and of the apex body responsible to conduct the election, ie Election Commission of Pakistan.
The appointment of election commissioner should not be on ad-hoc basis and he should be powerful, independent and autonomous, he observed. He said that the whole election process becomes meaningless without participation of men and women equally. It is a point of great humiliation that in certain parts of country, women are deprived even of vote casting and the government plays role of a silent spectator.