TAXILA: Some 16 candidates, including six women, were elected unopposed on reserved seats in the union councils (UC) before the indirect elections scheduled for February 11.

According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), all five municipal committees will have reserved seats for women, non-Muslims, youth and workers. All UC chairmen will cast votes to elect members on reserved seats and each UC will have five reserved seats- three for women, and one each for youth, workers and non-Muslims.

Along with UC chairmen, general councillors and vice chairmen will also be voting to elect members on reserved seats at the union council level.

According to local ECP officials, in eight union councils of Tehsil Taxila, 56 aspiring candidates had submitted their nomination papers for 40 reserved seats and of these, six were rejected.

In the union council Gari Sikandar, two women were elected unopposed, and for the seats reserved for peasants and youth, candidates were also elected unopposed. No nominations have been submitted for the seat reserved for non-Muslims.

Meanwhile in UC Usman Khattar, two female candidates were elected unopposed as were the candidates for the seat set aside for peasants, non-Muslims, and youth.

In UC Khurram Paracha, two women were elected unopposed while three candidates are campaigning for peasants seat and two each for youth and non-Muslims.

The candidate for women’s seat was elected unopposed in UC Thatta Khailil along with the candidate for peasants and youth. In this UC, only one person filed a nomination for the seat for non-Muslims, but was rejected.

In UC Jallala, the candidates for the seats of peasants and non-Muslims were elected unopposed. For the women’s seat, three candidates are in the run.

For the seat reserved for women in UC Gari Afghania, three women are campaigning; two are running for the youth’s seat and three for the peasant’s seat while there is no candidate for the non-Muslim’s seat.

For the women’s seat in UC Lub four candidates filed paper and one of them was rejected. For the seats for youth, peasant and non Muslims, there are two candidates each.

In the UC Wah, four are in the run for the women’s seat, seven for the non-Muslim’s seat and the candidates for peasants and the youth seats were elected unopposed.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2016