“No true democracy exists if women’s voices are kept in silence”—a remark that rings even truer in the case of Pakistan, where women now make up nearly half of the entire population. Since the country gained independence in 1947, the representation of women in the National Assembly has varied, reflecting broader societal attitudes toward gender equality. The constitutions of 1956 and 1962 initially provided only six reserved seats for women in the National Assembly—a figure that increased to 10 in the 1973 constitution for 10 years or three National Assembly elections. In 1985, the number of reserved seats was raised to 20. Nevertheless, these seats were later abolished, and the elected governments did not reinstate them. During General Pervez Musharraf’s era, the number of reserved seats increased to 60—a step that appeared progressive on the surface. Yet, this move did not empower women as anticipated.

A significant problem today is that nearly all the reserved seats are........

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