December 25, 2006	Monday	Zilhaj 03, 1427

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KHAAR (Bajaur Agency), Dec 24: The Jamaat-i-Islami, Khaar chapter, has threatened to stage sit-ins, observe strikes and hold demonstrations against the government if by-election to the National Assembly seat vacated by its former MNA Sahibzada Haroon-ur-Rasheed was not cancelled.

Sahibzada Haroon-ur-Rasheed, Naib Amir of the Jamaat, won the seat from the Bajaur Agency in the last election but resigned to protest against the Oct 30 bombing of a madressah in the area that left at least 80 people killed.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced holding of the by-election to NA-44 on Jan 10.

To protest against the move in the area, the Jamaat activists held a rally on Sunday in Khaar, the headquarters of the Bajaur Agency. The rally activists assembled in the Madresseh Ahya-ul-Uloom, boarded in at least 350 vehicles and then started parading different parts of the city to mobilise the people in support of their cause. After the parading, the rally participants collected in the Inayat Kallay where local leaders of the Jamaat-i-Islami addressed them.

Speaking on this occasion, Sahibzada Haroon-ur-Rasheed said that the people of the Bajur Agency would never let the by-election take place in the area. He also said that the people would not let the election staff go to the polling station on the day.

He announced that the by-election day would be observed as a black day by the area people.

The participants of the demonstration wore black armbands and held black flags in their hands. They also chanted slogans against President Pervez Musharraf and American President George W. Bush.

Sahibzada Haroon-ur-Rasheed claimed that the people of Bajaur had rejected the proposed by-election.

He said that those taking part in the by-election would betray the people of Bajaur, and appealed to the Supreme Court to intervene in the matter to avoid any untoward situation in the area.

He said if the government did not cancel holding of the by-election, the Jamaat activists would launch a movement against the government on Jan 7 by coming out on the streets and holding sit-ins.

Other Jamaat leaders Sardar Khan, Aziz Khan and Maulana Waheed Gul also addressed the rally. They said that the people of Bajaur would avenge the killing of innocent people and would not let the government hold the by-election in the area.