KHAR: Leaders of Bajaur Youth Jirga on Monday called for increasing the number of National Assembly seats for Bajaur Agency from two to three keeping in view its growing population.

They made the demand while addressing a news conference at the press club here.

The jirga leaders, including chairman Javid Khan Thandar, Fazal Subhan, Sajad Ahmed Jan, Sanaullah and others said the tribal agency deserved to get one more NA seat after the election commission had decided to increase share of NA seats for Fata.

They said according to the census report the total population of Bajaur was 1,093,684 which proved that the region was the most populated region in Fata.

They asked the prime minister, president of Pakistan and the chief election commissioner to increase the number of NA seats to three in 2018 general elections for Bajaur.

The jirga leaders said they would mobilise leaders of all political and religious parties to push for having one more NA seat for Bajaur.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2018