PESHAWAR, Jan 7: The Awami National Party has asked the federal government to ensure peaceful by-election in the Bajaur Agency. Reacting to a statement of MMA’s chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad that election would cause bloodshed, ANP's provincial president Bashir Ahmad Bilour said in a statement on Sunday that it was the responsibility of the government to ensure that election were held in peaceful atmosphere.

He said that elections would be held at any cost and the ANP candidate would emerge victorious. He urged the government to take measures to ensure protection of the voters on the day of polling, before and after.

Mr Bilour also warned that the ANP was an established force and had the capability to foil any attempt made to disrupt the by-election. He said that Jamaat-i-Islami’s Sahibzada Haroonur Rashid, who resigned from the National Assembly seat in protest against air strikes on a madressah in Bajaur Agency, but was now repenting his decision because other party leaders are yet to resign, vacated the seat.

Our correspondent from Khaar adds: The Jamaat-i-Islami held a public meeting in a madressah here on Sunday and announced it would go ahead with its agitation against by-election on the National Assembly seat, NA-44, Bajaur Agency.

The party decided to hold street marches and demonstrations in protest against the by-election after a representative tribal jirga failed to convince JI's Bajaur leadership to end its protest movement on Saturday.

The jirga comprising lemma, tribal elders and Agency councillors, was convened by the political authorities to hold talks with Jamaal’s leaders and ensure peaceful election.

But, the Jamaat's leaders said that it would end the protest movement when the election was cancelled. Later, they announced to intensify the protest campaign and hold public meetings and rallies.

The political authorities have put in place elaborate security arrangements to ensure law and order and peaceful polling in the by-election.