SWABI, Aug 11: No female candidate has filed nomination papers for any of the 20 seats reserved for women in 10 union councils of the Swabi district. Sources in the election commission said that all seats for Muslim (women) and peasant/workers (women) in the union councils of Bamkhel and Adina were likely to remain uncontested as no female candidate had filed their nomination papers for them.

A candidate for nazim in the Bamkhel union council said there were no restrictions on women, yet they had shown no interest in the election process.

“Our social structure is such that we cannot ask men to allow female members of their families to contest the election,” he said.

In the Adina union council jirga members and candidates are in agreement that women should not be allowed to contest the election.

Against three seats in the Shewa union council, one female candidate filed nomination papers and returned unopposed. Though no jirga was held there to bar women from poll, elders are against women participation in politics.

Two seats each in the Kalabat and Naranji union councils are likely to remain vacant and one each in Kota, Kunda, Maneri Payan, Zaida and Jalbai union council.

Meanwhile, 48 minority seats out of a total 55 are likely to remain vacant in the district owing to non-availability of candidates.

ANP CANDIDATES: Majority of the candidates in different union council for the post of nazim belong to the Awami National Party (ANP), a survey revealed.

Among all the contestants in 54 UCs, 42 belong to the ANP. However, in 10 UCs of the district, ANP members revolted against the district leadership for what they called selection of improper candidates and are now contesting as independent candidates.

Total number of candidates for the slot of nazim is 160 and majority of them are either independent or those ANP members who had revolted against their respective district leaderships.

Sixteen candidates each have been fielded by the Jamait-i-Islam and the Jamait Ulema-i-Islam (F) fourteen candidates belong to the PML-N while 13 belong to PML-Q. A candidate belonging to PML-Q has already been returned unopposed as nazim Jalbai union council.

Seven candidates for the posts of nazim are staunch supporters of the PPP (Sherpao), three of the Swabi Qaumi Mahaz and one each of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf and the JUI-S.