14 July 2004	Wednesday	25 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

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WASHINGTON, July 13: The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal is a major political force in Pakistan, which also enjoys the support of an increasing number of secular-minded Pakistanis, says a report issued in Washington on Tuesday.

The 132-page report on "Pakistan and the Islamic economy, released by Washington's Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, points out that the support for the MMA may grow if the current political setup collapses.

The report notes that in the October 2002 elections, the six-party MMA emerged as a strong political force, winning 60 seats in the National Assembly, compared to two in the previous election.

The MMA, the report points out, also captured control of the Northwest Frontier Province, and secured a prominent role in the coalition government of Balochistan. Today, the MMA represents one of the few large, widely supported political forces in Pakistan.

"If the National Assembly in Islamabad and Pakistan's provincial governments succumb to political gridlock, the MMA is likely to gain additional support by portraying itself as a vigorous and principled political force," the report says.