PESHAWAR: Citing security concerns in Tank district of the troubled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Tuesday postponed the by-election for NA-25 constituency, a decision severally criticised by the favourite JUI-F party.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has connected the decision with incompetence of the Election Commission. He wrote a letter to the commission criticising the decision.

“We condemn this decision by Election Commission,” said the JUI-F chief following the ECP press release. “Law and order situation was worse than what it is today in the area,” he added.

He vowed to protest against the potential postponement on Monday saying keeping in view popularity of the JUI-F, some political forces in the constituency were seeking ways to run away from the contest.

“We will not allow anyone to postpone polling in the constituency.” “If any attempt is made to put off the polls, the party would strongly resist it,” he said.

JUI-F candidate for NA-25, Maulana Asad Mehmud had said that Tank district was peaceful, and delaying the polls in the constituency would amount to denying people’s right to elect their representative.