DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Jan 18: The Citizen Action Committee of the Aurat Foundation staged a protest demonstration in front of the press club here on Tuesday against the proposed reduction in the number of seats reserved for women at the union council level in the forthcoming local government election.

The protesters, including women councillors, carried placards and banners and raised slogans for the restoration of women seats. Speaking on this occasion, coordinator of the Aurat Foundation Resource Centre Bilquees Ara Begum, district councillors Dilshad Begum, Sanjeeda Yousuf and Shahida Parveen Sadozai criticized the decision and demanded restoration of women seats.

They stated that about 36,000 women were elected to district, tehsil and union councils in the first local government election, which created a political and economic awareness among women. They said the reduction of seats would be a setback to women's rights and their progress in future.

OUR SWABI CORRESPONDENT ADDS: The Swabi Citizen Committee and women councillors also staged a protest demonstration against the government decision to reduce the number of women seats in the union councils during the 2005 local government election. The protesters marched to the office of the Abaseen Union of Journalists, carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the decision.