November 12, 2002	Tuesday	Ramazan 6, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: Mutt-ahida Majlis-i-Amal Secretary-General Maulana Fazlur Rahm-an said on Monday that the alliance is making a big political sacrifice by offering concessions on those issues on the basis of which it had swept polls in two provinces.

Replying to questions from newsmen about the MMA’s insistence on his candidature, he said the alliance gave more importance to the discretionary powers that the president’s office had attained through the Legal Framework Order and other constitutional issues.

He said the deadlock in the parleys on transfer of power was because of those leaders who lacked decision-power and were looking either towards their benefactors or their leadership abroad.

He said that while the leaders of Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam) were obliged to take the matters to the power brokers of President Gen Musharraf’s team before taking any decision, the MMA was independent.

The leader of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam said he didn’t take dictation from any agency and he could decide to withdraw from the contest for the prime minister’s office by consulting the leaders of his alliance.

He alleged that the government was trying to control the process for power sharing between parties after the polls as it had failed to install a government of its making.

On the other hand, efforts were being made to change the people’s mandate by gaining artificial majority in the assembly through administrative measures, he said.

He said seven National Assembly members from the tribal areas had won the polls with the symbol of book but they were allegedly hounded by the agents of the NWFP governor.

He said that when the Maulanas came to him and complained about the harassment they faced in the province, he advised them to stay in the capital till the assembly went into session.

He alleged that the MNAs-elect supporting the MMA were herded to governor’s house by the political agents and advised to announce their allegiance with the PML-Q.

Maulana Rahman said a political agent stayed in the hotel room of an MNA-elect in Peshawar after taking him there in his own vehicle, from where he sneaked out.

They were offered Rs100 million each as development funds for their constituencies or threatened with institution of criminal cases, he alleged.

MNA-elect Maulana Khalilur Rahman alleged that he was threatened by the political agent of Khyber Agency of being taken to court on allegation of downing a helicopter.