PESHAWAR, March 7: Local leaders of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) and Jamaat-i-Islami appear to have developed differences over recent recruitments in the Zakat and Ushr department and the appointment of additional and deputy advocates general.
This friction between the two parties, major components of the MMA, surfaced clearly over the last two days after some leaders of the two parties started issuing statements, accusing each other of favouritism in dealing with official matters.
Though the provincial ministers concerned of the two parties, when contacted separately by Dawn on Sunday, avoided comments on the criticism directed towards their official conduct, they criticized the measures taken recently in the provincial ministries of law and parliamentary affairs, and Zakat and Ushr.
While the ministry of law and parliamentary affairs is headed by the JUI-F nominated minister, Zafar Azam, the portfolio of Zakat and Ushr is held by Hafiz Hashmat, a Jamaat man.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, MNA Sabir Hussain Awan, who is also chief of the Peshawar district chapter of the JI, criticized the provincial government for appointing additional and deputy advocates general, with a majority of officers belonging to the JUI-F.
"Small groups of the MMA were already annoyed because of aristocratic and unjust policies of the JUI-F. And now the JI is also finding difficult to tolerate this a situation," contained a JI press release quoting Mr Awan as saying.
The JI leader, a former jihadi commander, took strong exception to the policies of the JUI-F and its nominated ministers. The two-page statement focused on criticizm of the chief minister, who belongs to the JUI-F, and recent appointments notified by the law ministry.
"On the one hand, the chief minister is raising slogans of upholding the policy of merit while on the other he is bent upon to tearing apart merit," said Mr Awan.
The law department, NWFP, has recently notified appointments of 10 additional and deputy advocate generals. Nine of them have been reported to be affiliated with the JUI-F, whereas only one with the JI.
The divide between the two major components of the MMA appeared widened on Sunday when a press release of the JUI-F contained that a meeting of the executive council of the NWFP chapter of the JUI-F took strong note of the complaints received from different districts about the alleged nepotism being practised in handling the affairs of the Zakat and Ushr department, headed by JI nominated Minister Hafiz Hashmat.
Mr Abdul Jalil Jan, JUI's provincial secretary information, in a press statement said the meeting had decided to move the chief minister over the issue of the Zakat and Ushr department's policy of pampering the JI.
"The JUI-F never opposed the appointment of JI's men as chairmen of the Zakat and Ushr committees in all the 24 districts of the province," said Mr Jan, when contacted by Dawn. "What is wrong in it if we have appointed our associates as additional and deputy advocate generals?" asked Mr Jan in reply to a question.
Haji Ehsan-ul-Haq, general secretary of the Peshawar JUI-F, in a press statement also accused the JI nominated minister for Zakat and Ushr of resorting to favouritism in handling the departmental affairs.
"Zakat fund is being distributed among the JI supporters and corrupt people have been appointed as chairmen of the district Zakat committees in all the districts of the NWFP," said Mr Haq, adding:"Statement issued by the JI's Peshawar chief clearly reflects that their party wants to break the MMA."
He alleged:" The JI has a history of breaking alliances and Mr Awan like his mentors is doing the same job." However, the ministers for law and parliamentary affairs and Zakat and Ushr, when approached on telephone, rejected the impression created against them by MMA leaders.
The law minister rejected charges levelled by JI's MNA Sabir Awan and termed them baseless and unfounded. "Small groups of the MMA have been complaining that the provincial government is dominated by the two major parties, JUI-F and JI, whereas it is interesting that Mr Awan is terming it a single party affair," said the law minister.
He said law officers were appointed by the provincial government after consulting MMA leaders. Mr Hashmat Awan, the Zakat and Ushr minister, said the chief of the Peshawar JI had issued a statement against the government in his individual capacity.
"It has got nothing to do with the official stand of the MMA," said Mr Hashmat, adding: "Being the provincial deputy general secretary of the JI, I can say with certainty that the statement does not represent the JI's stand," said the minister.
About the charges levelled against him by JUI-F leaders, the minister termed them baseless and said: "We have 4,000 Zakat committees across the province which would complete their term in May and new bodies would be constituted. Unless new committees are set up, how they can say irregularities have been committed in this regard."
