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| 11 April 2005 | Monday | 01 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426 |
Gulf between ARD, MMA remains unbridged
LAHORE, April 10: The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy and the Muttahida Majli-i-Amal have not been able to make much headway towards the formation of a grand alliance against the government, mainly because of the attitude of the two major components of the two groupings. The PPP of Ms Benazir Bhutto is not willing to sit with the MMA despite its public utterances to the contrary. And the JUI-F does not want to step up the campaign to an extent that the assemblies are dissolved prematurely.
Sources of both the alliances see little hope of emergence of a broad-based coalition in the foreseeable future.
It is said that the JUI-F is telling its partners in the MMA that by mounting a pressure on the government to hold elections during the current year, the religious alliance would be playing into the hands of the ARD. “The party thinks if the MMA is in favour of the assemblies’ completing their five-year term, the pace of the movement should be well under control.”
The JUI-F is also thinking of referring the matter of NWFP chief minister’s participation in the National Security Council to the provincial organization of the religious alliance. Once the NWFP organization of the MMA supports the demand, the matter will be referred to the central leadership for a final decision.
The Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith headed by Prof Sajid Mir is of the view that either the MMA should not have facilitated the formation of the National Security Council or now that it is there, the religious alliance should meet the requirements of the enactment.
The Jamaat-i-Islami wants to step up the MMA campaign against the government and bring down the present rulers at the earliest.
The JUI-S, which has a “love-hate” relationship with the MMA, reportedly discussed the possibility of leaving the religious alliance to join hands with the ARD. However, an ARD leader who was approached for an advice asked the JUI-S delegation to stay with the MMA in its own interest.
It was on the basis of the advice that the JUI-S was represented in the recent MMA meeting held in Lahore.
In the ARD, the PPP and the PML-N have different views on cooperation with the MMA.
The PML-N wants unity among all political forces to throw out the present rulers and pave the way for fresh elections. The PPP, though calls for polls during the current year, is not inclined to be seen with the religious parties. Some PML-N leaders think that the PPP is convinced that as the gulf between the government and the MMA widens, the rulers will be left with no option but to seek PPP’s cooperation.
ARD leaders think that the situation may take a clear turn after the return home of Asif Zardari on April 16. The government’s attitude on the occasion may force all parties to have a fresh look at their policies, they said. —Ashraf Mumtaz
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