SWABI, July 24: Women of three union councils of the district have been barred from filing nomination papers for the upcoming local body polls. Sources in the local election commission office said that women had not filed nominations from union councils of Shewa, Bamkhel and Adina for seats reserved for peasant /labour councillors. In Bamkhel and Adina union councils, general seats for women would also remain vacant as no women candidates had filed nominations, while only a woman had filed nomination against a general councillor seat from the Shewa union council.

The leaders of political parties said their men candidates and jirga members were not inclined to allow women to contest the poll.

They declared that women had also been barred from exercising their right to vote in the local body election.

The leaders said they had not signed any agreement against women’s voting, but the jirga members and elders had decided that there would no women voters.

One women candidate each from Kota, Naranji, Kalabat, Kunda and Maneri Bala union councils has filed nomination papers for peasant/labour seats. While for a general councillor seat, a woman has filed nomination from Naranji union council.

NGO representatives said that comparing the filing of nomination papers with the previous local body election, they had achieved their objectives. “If elections are regularly held, the situation would change,” they said.