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A Burqa-Less Lower House of Parliament Sworn in in Pakistan
The newly-elected lawmakers of Pakistan’s National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, have been sworn in on March 17, 2008, starting the process of government formation in Islamabad. The newspaper Dawn noted that it was a Burqa-less lower house of the Pakistani parliament as none of the female members wore a veil during the swearing-in.
This was possible because the religious parties were routed in the February 18 general elections in Pakistan. According to the report, the only woman member from the alliance of religious parties Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal is Asia Nasir who has been elected from a reserved seat for non-Muslims in the province of Baluchistan. Nasir is a Christian and doesn’t wear veil.
The Urdu-language newspaper Roznama Jasarat reported that the new Pakistani legislature has the highest representation of women ever, with 76 women among the 328 lawmakers taking oath on the occasion. According to the report, 16 of the 76 female lawmakers have been elected from general seats and 60 from seats reserved for women.
[In the image above, the newly-elected members of the National Assembly are being sworn in.]
Source: Dawn, Pakistan, March 18, 2008; Roznama Jasarat, Pakistan, March 18, 2008; Roznama Khabrain, Pakistan, March 18, 2008
Posted at: 2008-03-18
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