March 14, 2008	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 5, 1429

KARACHI, March 13: Differences in the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal led to the setback suffered by the religious parties in the February election.

This observation was made by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at a press conference held at the residence of Maulana Hafiz Abdul Qayyum Nomani on Thursday.

“Had the Jamaat-i-Islami not boycotted the elections, the MMA would have been able to form governments in Balochistan and the NWFP.”

He also insisted that the MMA was still as relevant as it was at the time of its establishment in the 2002 general election, which saw the alliance of religious parties romp to victory in the NWFP and Balochistan.

He pointed out that despite the JI boycott, the MMA had won 10 seats in Balochistan and had lost 30 seats by a narrow margin.

“We want to see the MMA become a stable alliance of religious forces and that was why despite the JI boycott we have kept Qazi Hussain Ahmad as its president and had fought elections on MMA tickets.”

He, however, insisted that he had no ideological differences with Qazi Hussain Ahmad.

In reply to another question, Maulana Fazl said that the alliance had not joined hands with any political party but would join the national government being formed because of the looming internal and external crises facing the country.

Answering a question, he said that while the lawyers’ movement for the restoration of the judiciary was weak, it was popular enough to become successful.

Maulana Fazl, who is secretary-general of the MMA, received a five-member delegation of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan led by its President, Sahibzada Abul-Khair Zubair.

Hashim Siddiqui, who was one of the members of the JUP delegation, told Dawn that besides comparing notes on the political situation obtaining in the country, they discussed the need to re-organise the MMA.