MANSEHRA, March 23: Deputy Speaker in the NWFP assembly, Ikramullah Shahid, has claimed that the number of MMA?s disgruntled MPAs in the provincial assembly is more than 22 and in case a move is made to dislodge the Durrani-led government, the JUI (S) would fully support it.

He was talking to newsmen on Wednesday after meeting Imam of Jamia Masjid Kingar and JUI (S) leader Maulana Rafiqur Rehman Qamar.

According to the prayer leader?s own account, he had been picked up by operatives of a sensitive agency a few days ago and subjected to physical torture before being released three days earlier.

Ikramullah Shahid, who was also accompanied by the party?s provincial general secretary Moulana Syed Yousaf Shah, said the MMA had become only a two-party alliance and failed in completing its agenda of Shariah enforcement in the province.

Without naming, he alleged that the two religious parties ?who have made MMA their hostage? were not sincere in the enforcement of Shariah.

He said that instead of taking steps for the implementation of the Shariah Act already passed by the house, the MMA leaders had started dilly-dallying on the issue, making the controversial Hisba Bill a pretext.

He said that the proposed Hisba Bill ?has nothing to do with the enforcement of Shariah?.

He said that even the leader of opposition in the NWFP assembly, Shahzada Mohammad Gustasap Khan, and the PML MPAs had voted in favour of the Sahriah Amendment Bill presented by him but, ironically, the MPAs belonging to religious parties opposed it.

He said that development funds were being spent only in Bannu, Dir and D.I. Khan.

He said that the provincial minister, Malik Zaffar Azam, had made a false statement in the house that in terms of allocation of uplift funds, Bannu district came first, Peshawar second, Mardan third and Mansehra fourth.

He said he had challenged the statement of the minister and filed a privilege motion against him because issuing false statement ?amounts to breaching the privilege of the house?.