SWABI, Aug 16: In some union councils of Swabi district, women may not be able to exercise their right to vote in the local body election on Aug 18. Swabi district comprises 55 union councils. There are 430,877 registered voters in the district. Of these 243,000 are men and 187,877 women.

In the previous local body election, there were 19 UCs where jirga members and contesting candidates had agreed to keep women out of the election contest and not allow them to cast their ballots.

About 90 females had returned unopposed from different UCs but restrictions of culture had probably prevented female candidates from filing their nomination papers on 20 seats reserved for women in 10 union councils. These seats remained uncontested.

In the Bamkhel and Adina union councils, seats reserved for Muslims (women) and peasant workers (women) had remained uncontested because not a single female candidate had filed her nomination papers.

Reports reaching from a number of UCs said either the contesting candidates or the jirga members have reached an understanding on confining women to their homes on the polling day.