LAHORE, Dec 11: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) will not change its deadline for tabling the constitutional amendment package in parliament despite the sudden demise of alliance chief Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani, says vice-president Qazi Husain Ahmad.

The MMA would launch “remove Pervez Musharraf” drive if the bill was not moved in parliament by Dec 17, he warned the government here on Thursday.

Saying in the death of Maulana Noorani the Majlis had lost a leader of great calibre, the Qazi, who is also Jamaat-i-Islami amir, said they would not even change date and venue for a meeting of the central leadership scheduled for Dec 17 in Multan as it had been set by the late Maulana himself.

Political analysts here predict a tough road ahead both for the MMA and the government after the death of Maulana Noorani, who had been uniting sects during the last decade.

The most respected religious leader, Maulana Noorani was revered by Sunni, Shia, Ahle Hadith and Deobandi sects as he assembled all these people under the umbrella of Milli Yakjehti Council when sectarian terrorism was at its peak in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

He became MMA chief due to his stature and not on the basis of the strength of his party, Jamiat Ulema-i-Paksitan.

The analysts say that the Qazi and Maulana Fazlur Rahman, secretary-general of the alliance, will be the contenders for the MMA president’s office.

They say the Qazi, though being politically more inflexible, is the most likely successor as it will be fairly difficult for comparatively more composed Maulana Fazl to wear three caps — president of his party JUI-F as well as the MMA, and also likely opposition leader in the National Assembly — at a time.

It is learnt that in the death of Senator Noorani the JUP would also lose its representation in the Senate as the JUI, unlike in the past, is not ready to sacrifice its quota for Sindh province.

The late Maulana Noorani was elected Senator when the JUI withdrew its candidate Dr Khalid Soomro in the last elections.

Dr Soomro and Qari Sher Afzal will be likely candidates of the JUI for the Senate ticket.