October 1, 2002	Tuesday	Rajab 23, 1423

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RAWALPINDI, Sept 30: Jamiat Ahle Hadith chief Maulana Sajid Mir has withdrawn his support to the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and asked his supporters to vote for the PML-N.

Differences emerged within the MMA over the award of election tickets, it has been learnt.

Maulana Sajid Mir asked his supporters not to vote for the MMA candidates in the general elections. He cited injustice with his party in the award of election tickets as the reason for parting ways with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.

An MMA spokesman, Mohammad Azam Malik, expressed his regret over the withdrawal of Jamiat Ahle Hadith from the MMA, but dispelled the impression that it would be a setback to the alliance.

“It is regrettable that a person like Maulana Mir has announced his separation from the religious parties’ alliance at a time when the general elections are being considered to be a fight between secularism and Islam. Maulana Sajid Mir has played the role of an opponent of Islamic Shariat through this act, he added.

“Small differences over award of tickets can be resolved through talks but Maulana Mir opted to go to the extreme,” he said.

Mr Malik said the extreme step taken by Maulana Sajid Mir had just exposed his innerself. Outwardly, he claims to be a torch-bearer of Islam, but deep down he has love for Nawaz Sharif, the spokesman added.