KHAAR, Dec 26: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal suffered a major setback on Tuesday after Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F), a key component of the religious alliance, announced that it would take part in the by-election to the NA-44 constituency in Bajaur Agency.

Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, the JUI (F) deputy general secretary, Senator Maulana Abdul Rashid, said the MMA had nothing to do with the election boycott and his party would participate in the process.

Sahibzada Haroon-ur-Rasheed, naib amir of the Jamaat, won the seat 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 dead.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced holding of the by-election to the seat on Jan 10. The JUI leader accused the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) of trying to achieve political mileage by launching a movement against the by-election.

"Regrettably, the JI is using the MMA platform for negative activities and trying to disturb peaceful environment of the Agency by threatening the people and boycotting the poll," he said.

Maulana Rashid said that no individual or party could deprive the people of their democratic and constitutional right.

Criticising policies of the Jamaat-i-Islami, he said that through such tactics, the Jamaat was betraying the people, and trying to create the law and order situation in the area.

Such policies, he said, did not serve interests of the people of the area.

He pledged that the MMA would fully support the by-election, and appealed to the people to participate in the election.

He said the MMA would soon issue a show-cause notice to the JI for its negative activities, and added that the Jamaat workers had no right to stop the people from casting votes or besieging the polling stations.

However, the Jamaat chief of the Bajaur Agency, Sardar Khan, told Dawn by phone that the MMA had boycotted the by-election, and the people would not allow anybody to conduct elections on Jan 10.

"This can be Senator Rashid's personal opinion, but he cannot speak on behalf of the MMA," Sardar Khan said.

He said former MNA Sahibzada Haroon Rashid was a nominee of the MMA for the by-election, but he had announced a boycott of the election.