SWABI: Spealcers at a gathering here on Tuesday said that emancipation of women and their participation in election process were must for progress and economic prosperity.

`The government and society should ensure true emancipation of women and their representation and participation in election process if we really want to make true our dreams of progress and economic prosperity,` they said.

The gathering was organised by Aware Girls, a Peshawar-based non-governmental organisation. The programme titled `Citizens annual dialogue with political parties` was attended by politicians, religious scholars, literary figures and journalists.

The speakers said that owing to their failure to offer a proper representation to women and give them rights, they deprived half of the country`s population of playing role in the progress of the motherland.They said that stopping women from participation in the election process was unjust. They said that in the past women were not allowed to exercise their right of vote in the district.

Known writer Nural Amin Yousafzai said that they lived in a male-dominated society and a change would certainly take time. `However, we have to work for the empowerment of womenfolk before it is too late,` he said.

Mr Yousafzai said that their attitude about women was not fair. `In fact, it was Islam which enabled women to live in the society with dignity and honour. There are various examples as to how women contributed to the society and how they helped their men,` he said.

Habibul Akbar, renowned religious scholar, said that without contributions of religious scholars it might be difficult to achieve the objective of women empowerment. `The religious scholars should be part of the campaign.

The role of women would certainly critical in different circumstances andit could be achieved in the light of Islamic principles,` he said.

Javed Inqilabi, district president of PPP, said that political parties failed to set up a permanent political wing of women. `We still have district president of the women wing but the general secretary married a few days ago and it was the end of the whole set up,` he said.

Malik Mohammad Salim Khan, district con-vener of Local Councillor Association, said that in their society women could not exercise her right of vote independently. It could cause various domestic problems if women adopted independentapproach,he added.

`Women have to follow the males and if the former fail to obey the latter they will be deprived of the right of vote,` he said.

Taqueemul Haq, an education officer, said cultural restrictions, failure of political parties, lack of education, dictatorship, lack of awareness and terrorism were main hurdles for women to get knowledge about the election process.

TWO COMMIT SUICIDE: Two persons, including a woman, committed suicides in Yar Hussain village here on Tuesday.

Police said that Mashuga Begum, wife of Sultan Nabi, ate insecticide over some domestic problems. She was taken to the local basic health unit where doctors pronounced her dead.

In another incident in the same area, a 45-yearold man identified as Farid Gul also committed suicide by taking insecticide. Police officials said that the deceased was mentally disturbed.

The two incidents occurred just two days after the suicide of Rizwan Khan of the Kalu Khan. He had also killed himself in the same way. Police said that in majority of the suicide cases in the district, people ate poisonous tabletsusedforkillinginsects.