September 02, 2007	Sunday	Sha'aban 19, 1428

LAHORE, Sept 1: An electoral alliance of right-wing political parties is likely to take a practical shape by the end of this month or early next month, believes a central MMA leader.

The PML-N, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf, according to MMA senior vice-president Senator Prof Sajid Mir, have already reached a broad understanding about forging the new political and electoral alliance which focuses Punjab in particular.

Of these the MMA is already an electoral alliance but its electoral base is primarily confined to NWFP and Balochistan and the new coalition would like to extend to Punjab also.

Talks for the ‘electoral arrangements’ began on the sidelines of the multi-party conference that was held in London on July 7 and 8. The `understanding’ was reached mainly due to the efforts made by Senator Prof Sajid Mir, who is held in high esteem by the Sharifs, during the period he was present in London for the MPC and his subsequent visits to England about a month ago.

Also the amir of the Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith, Prof Mir, who stayed in England for about a month in August, had several rounds of talks with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif.

Prof Sajid Mir told Dawn on Saturday that the MMA would have ‘the true benefit’ of the return home of the Sharifs who were now riding a popular wave after the Supreme Court verdict. He, however, said that the All Pakistan Democratic Movement would not be translated into an electoral alliance for ‘host of reasons’.

He said that there was no reason why the MMA should not remain intact. “This alliance will live longer despite some bottlenecks the political situation could cause to damage the six-party religious alliance.” Although he did not explain the ‘bottlenecks’, it is believed he was making a reference to the government’s efforts to win over alliance secretary-general Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

The MMA leader said: “We have also decided to take the PTI along because the party, headed by Imran Khan, had made a valuable contribution to the democratic movement.”