PESHAWAR, Nov 13: Showing disregard to the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, its component Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Sami) will contest the up-coming by-election to the National Assembly constituency from Malakanad, NA-35 , against the alliance's candidate, according to party sources.

The MMA has fielded Bakhtiar Muhani for the up-coming by-election to NA-35, which fell vacant following the demise of Maulana Inayat-ur-Rehman of the Jamaat-i-Islami, a major component of the religio-political parties' alliance.

A total of 22 candidates, including five independents, have filed nomination papers for the by-election, scheduled to be held on Dec 15. "We are not going to accept MMA's decision and would contest the elections," said Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Senior Vice-President of the NWFP chapter of the JUI-S.

The party has fielded Shah Nawaz Khan, advocate, as its main contender for the NA-35 elections. Tariq Aziz had filed nomination papers as covering candidate, said Hafiz Hussain.

Whereas, Mr Muhani, of the JI, has been fielded as consensus candidate by his party and MMA's other major party, i.e., the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl). Political observers said that though the revolt by the JUI-S was not likely to cause a major problem for the JUI-F and the JI joint candidate, its move would undermine the alliance's credibility as a united force in the eyes of religious-minded people of Malakand.

"We don't intend to withdraw our candidate from the by-election and would launch the election campaign with vigour after Eid," said Hafiz Hussain. He said that JI chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed was defeated from the said constituency in one of the last held elections. Hence, he maintained, it would be wrong to assume that the constituency belonged to the JI and no other candidate could win election on NA-35.

"We have the ability to pose a really tough challenge to the JUI-F-JI candidate," he claimed. In reply to a question, he said that the JUI-S had decided to contest the up-coming by-election in an effort to 'disassociate' itself from the failures of the JUI-F and the JI, who did not deliver even after two years of rule.

The move on the part of JUI-S, maintained political observers, could create difficulties for the MMA candidate who has to take on strong candidates, including Salim Saifullah of the Pakistan Muslim League, Haji Naseem-ur-Rehman of the Awami National Party and People's Party Parliamentarian's Mohammed Humayun Khan, who resigned from the office of district nazim to contest the by-election.

The final list of candidates, according to election schedule notified by the Election Commission of Pakistan, would be notified on Nov 22.