February 25, 2003	Tuesday	Zul Hijjah 23, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

BAJAUR, Feb 24: Tribal elders and political leaders of Bajaur Agency have asked the government to ensure a Senate seat for the Bajaur Agency in the elections scheduled for Feb 27.

They have urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to devise a mechanism for allocation of one seat to each tribal agencies.

The demand came at a joint press conference addressed by Bajaur ANP president Sheikh Janzada, PML-Q president Haji Rahat Yousaf, PML president Malik Khaista Gul, Bajaur Political Alliance chairman Qazi Abdul Manan, NAPP president Shahabuddin Khan, PPP president Akhundzada Chattan, Jamaat-i-Islami deputy Amir Maulana Khan Badshah, JUI secretary-general Maulana Abdul Rasheed and others.

They threatened that if they were not given equal representation in the Senate they would stage a demonstration in front of the National Assembly and would launch a protest movement against the tribal MNAs.

They said that by reserving eight seats for Fata the government had taken a positive step, but the government should also reserve a seat for each of the agencies.