October 17, 2002	Thursday	Sha'aban 10, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

ISLAMABAD, Oct 16: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal on Wednesday nominated JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman a candidate for prime minister and JI deputy chief Liaquat Baloch speaker of the National Assembly.

MMA president Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani announced this at a news conference after a meeting of the MMA’s supreme council. He also set conditions for the MMA’s cooperation with other parties for the formation of a government in the Centre.

In reply to a question whether the MMA would accept the National Security Council as a supreme body over parliament, Maulana Noorani declared: “The alliance would make sure that the supremacy of parliament is maintained above any other institution, including the NSC”.

Maulana Noorani, who is also chief of the Jamiat Ulema-i- Pakistan, assured the womenfolk that the MMA would ensure them their status in accordance with the Islamic injunctions and would give them their right to heritage.

He said the MMA had won 45 direct National Assembly seats and added that when put together the number of Fata MNAs the figure went up to 55. The tally, he said, would further increase when elections on reserved seats were completed.

Maulana Noorani said that a four-member parliamentary coordination group headed by Mr Baloch had been set up to negotiate with other political parties within the parameters of the MMA’s manifesto.

The other members of the coordination group are: Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Pir Ejaz Hashmi and Maulana Qazi Abdul Latif.

JI Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Fazl, Maulana Samiul Haq of the JUI(S), Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi, chief of Tehrik-i-Islami Pakistan; Hafiz Hussain Ahmed and other MMA leaders were present.

Elaborating on the MMA’s terms for entering into a coalition, Maulana Noorani said: “We intend to resolve economic issues by attaining self-reliance and adopting interest-free economy, protect the federal parliamentary system, end all sorts of external interference in the country’s affairs, extend moral and political support to the cause of Kashmiris and support Afghan people’s struggle.

He said the MMA would negotiate with other political parties on a balanced foreign and economic policy, legislation of Islamic laws, etc., before entering into a coalition.

He assured the traders that the MMA would reduce the taxes unjustly imposed on them to please the IMF and the World Bank.

The MMA chief said that though Gen Musharraf had kept his promise of holding elections within the given time-frame, his promise of holding them in a free, fair and impartial manner remained unfulfilled. He claimed that the lower level administration had not only rigged the polls but it had also manipulated the results at many places in the country with 20 constituencies in Karachi alone.

He said the MMA’s position would have been far different had the polling been allowed to go free and fair in Karachi. He demanded re-polling on those constituencies.

Maulana Noorani also announced the formation of working groups comprising MNAs-elect to guide the alliance on various subjects, including health, security, media, culture, labour, and accountability.