February 22, 2008	Friday	Safar 14, 1429

TIMERGARA, Feb 21: The provincial chief of JUI-F, Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan, has said the party would like to form a coalition government with PPP at the Centre and provinces.

Talking to journalists at Chakdara on Thursday, he claimed that some of the MMA leaders had been elected as independent candidates and would join the JUI-F soon.

Maulana Gul, who is also a senator, claimed that those elected as independent MPAs, were actually MMA’s people, included Munawar Khan (Lakki), Mian Nisar Gul (Karak), Qalabe Hussan (Kohat), Talib Hussain Al Hussaini (Hangu), Maulana Gul Mohammad (Kohistan), Akhtar Nawaz (Haripur), Shazi Khan (Mansehra), Malik Hayat (Dir Upper) and Amjad Afridi (Kohat).

“They all have contacted me and soon will announce their affiliation with the MMA,” claimed the Maulana, adding that the number of seats had increased to 18 while the results of three confirmed MMA members -- Sardar Idrees (Abbottabad), Dildar (Kohistan) and Hamid Shah (Bannu) -- were yet to be announced.

He claimed that currently the number of their members in the provincial assembly was 21.

Maulana Gul, who lost PF-97 (Dir Lower) during the recent polls, was confident to form a coalition government with the PPP.