LAHORE, Oct 11: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal said on Friday that no party could form the government without its support and it would negotiate only with those agreeing to its terms.

Talking to reporters, MMA central information secretary Pir Ejaz Hashmi said the alliance was in a position to form the next government and therefore it would prefer to get cooperation rather than giving it to others.

He said the MMA and the PML-Q had ideological differences and that was why “it is not possible for us to cooperate it for the formulation of the government at the moment.”

Nevertheless, Mr Hashmi said, a meeting of the MMA’s leaders and parliamentary group was being convened shortly. The meeting would elect MMA’s parliamentary leader besides taking a decision regarding the shape of the future government, he said.

He said the mandate given by the people to the MMA indicated that they agreed on making Pakistan a real Islamic state. And those declaring religious parties as extremist groups must have understood by now that people supported religious and not secular forces.

Replying to a question, Mr Hashmi said the MMA parliamentary group would only decide whether to cooperate with President Gen Pervez Musharraf or not. It would also consult the like-minded parties on the issue, he said.

He said the MMA would enforce Islamic order and not that of Taliban in Pakistan. It would build relations with the US and other members of the UN on the basis of equality and the principle of live and let live. It would, however, not accept dictation from anyone.

Mr Hashmi said the MMA did not consider it a sin to go along with any party including the PPP.

“We would sit with the party close to our point of view,” he said.