PESHAWAR, Dec 1: Members of the nominated Agency Councils took the oath of office in six tribal agencies on Wednesday. The oath was administered by political agents of the respective agencies.

The councils have been formed in Khyber, Mohmand, Bajaur, Kurram, Orakzai and North Waziristan agencies. Respective tribes have nominated 70 per cent of the councillors on general seats in each agency.

The remaining members have been nominated by the political agents with the approval of the NWFP governor's Fata secretariat. The councils comprise tribal elders, technocrats, ulema and women. Two seats have been reserved for women in each council.

The nomination process could not take place in South Waziristan because of the ongoing military operation. Officials said that after the recent agreement between the government and the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe the governor's Fata secretariat had directed the authorities concerned to start the nomination process in the region.

Our Landi Kotal Correspondent adds: The Khyber Agency Council was administered oath at Khyber House in Peshawar on Tuesday. The oath was administered by Khyber Agency Political Agent Arbab Mohammad Arif.

Of the 70 councillors, 65, including a woman, attended the ceremony. None of the four parliamentarians from Khyber Agency had been invited by the political authorities. The first woman councillor in the agency, Shaheen Jan Shinwari, an MBA student, said after taking oath that she would work hard for the provision of health and education facilities to women in her area.

The council will meet every month and its session can be requisitioned by 50 members. Two women and a minority councillor are yet to be nominated. The Khyber Agency political agent administered the oath in Pushto.