PESHAWAR, Jan 15: The newly-elected member of the National Assembly from Bajaur, Shahabuddin Khan, on Monday said the people of Bajaur had rejected ‘extremists’ and proved that they wanted peace and a democratic culture in the agency.

Speaking at a news conference soon after returning from Saudi Arabia after performing Haj, he alleged that the Jamaat-i-Islami had terrorised tribesmen and created hurdles in polling but the area people had foiled their designs because they believed in democracy.

Flanked by Awami National Party joint secretary Afrasiyab Khattak and senior nationalist leader Latif Afridi, Mr Khan said the ANP had condemned the Bajaur attack and would oppose such attacks in future too, but boycotting the election was not a good option.

He said the Bajaur Agency was a backward area. He said the agency should be included in the Provincial Administered Tribal Areas. “We want development and municipal services in Bajaur, therefore we demand its inclusion in Pata” the MNA-elect said.

He urged the government to solve problems of tribesmen, abolish the Frontier Crime Regulation, extend the Political Act to Fata to create political awareness among tribesmen and allow the media to operate in the tribal belt without any restrictions.

He thanked the people of Bajaur for voting him and vowed that he would work for development of the area.—PPI