Gunfire, dancing welcome election losses by religious parties

PESHAWAR, Feb 19 (AFP): Celebratory gunfire and dancing in the streets greeted heavy election losses Tuesday by Pakistan's main alliance of religious parties in the North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan. The MMA alliance lost many seats, winning just three seats in Monday's parliamentary elections, according to unofficial results. “These people did nothing for us during their five-year tenure and just strengthened the hands of Islamists and those supporting militancy,” said a property businessman. An auto-rickshaw mechanic called the mullahs “religious fanatics” and said a vote for them would be wasted. “These mullahs made our lives miserable,” he said.