February 6, 2002	Wednesday	Ziqa’ad 22, 1422

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DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Feb 5: Various political parties have started homework for the general elections to be held this year.

Religious parties, including both factions of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl and Samiul Haq), Jamat-i-Islami, Jamiat Ahl-i-Hadit, Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (Noorani Group) and Millat-i-Jafria (formerly Tehrik-i-Jafria Pakistan) have constituted a new alliance under the banner of “Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal” which has started holding meetings.

According to sources, Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani (JUP), Liaquat Baloch (JI) and Hafiz Hussain Ahmad (JUI) have been empowered to decide distribution of tickets for the National and provincial assemblies.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman of the JUI have also been authorized to decide distribution of tickets for Dera Ismail Khan constituencies.

With increase in the number of seats in the National Assembly, Dera Ismail Khan is likely to be allocated another seat making the number of seats allocated to the area to two.

According to sources, it is expected that Maulana Fazlur Rehman would contest on one seat while the second seat would be left for Maulana Fateh Mohammed (JUI) or Qazi Abdul Latif (former Senator of JUI-S) in Dera Ismail Khan.

The sources said Asmatullah Khan Mastikhel of JUI has been nominated for PF-54. Jamat-i-Islami, both factions of JUI and JUP, according to the decision, will get one seat each for the provincial assembly.

However, all nominations will be finalized after the consultation with Qazi Abdul Latif.

It was also disclosed that PML (N) was also trying to join this alliance and in case the PML was made a part of it, distribution of tickets would have to be revised.