ISLAMABAD: Cracks have begun to show in the fragile partnership between the protesting Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the Jamaat-i-Islami, which has been in damage-control mode ever since the PTI launched its anti-government protests in August.

The Jamaat has looked to be weary of its senior coalition partner in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and their ongoing protests against electoral rigging.

Certain JI leaders have even criticised PTI chief Imran Khan over his calls for the dissolution of the National Assembly.

Know more: PTI no different from PML-N, says Siraj

Finally responding to the provocation on Thursday, the PTI leadership broke its silence and came down hard on Jamaat Emir Sirajul Haq, who had told a rally in Mansehra on Wednesday that both the PML-N and the PTI were “two sides of the same coin”, were not sincere in solving people’s problems and only concerned with serving their own political interests.

The Jamaat chief’s uncharacteristic candour seems to have stirred up a veritable hornet’s nest.

A spokesperson for the party denied the remarks attributed to the Jamaat emir. Shahid Shamsi told Dawn that on the instructions of his party leader, he was issuing a clarification apropos the statement that was attributed to Mr Haq.

And a JI statement issued in Karachi said: “we strongly deny the reports carried by a section of the media quoting JI chief Sirajul Haq that PTI and PML-N are two sides of the same coin.”

But this is certainly not the first time a JI leader has spoken out publicly against the PTI and its tactics. On October 9, JI Secretary General Liaquat Baloch criticised the political culture the PTI was promoting in its Islamabad sit-in.

The reported statement sent shockwaves through political circles in KP and evoked a harsh reaction from the PTI leadership. Mr Khan, in a statement, regretted that Sirajul Haq had chosen to club the PTI with the PML-N and PPP, while conveniently overlooking the number of NAB cases against both Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari.

Presenting himself as a clean politician, Mr Khan said it was unfair on the part of the JI leader to compare his party with the PPP and PML-N, since they had neither assets nor funds abroad.

Mr Khan said that if Sirajul Haq and JI were really committed to enforcing Islamic law, they needed to stand by the PTI in its struggle for justice against the corrupt and decadent rulers. He demanded that the JI “stop playing on both sides of the wicket” and tell the people of Pakistan where it stood.

“The JI chief’s failure to recognise the injustice of the May 2013 elections, despite a national political consensus on the fact that rigging had taken place, raised serious questions on the commitment of the JI to the implementation of Islamic principles of justice,” the PTI chief said, trying to hit Mr Haq where it hurts: on the question of religious loyalties.

Mr Khan seemed genuinely hurt by the remarks attributed to the Jamaat chief. “Mr Haq cannot, if he is honest, fail to recognise the plundering of the public resources by the PML-N and PPP for the sake of building their own dynastic empires.”

But as they say the devil is indeed in the details.

The PTI chairman had, on more than one occasion while camped out on D-Chowk, invited the JI to join his protest against the government. But the latter preferred to play the role of mediator. Mr Haq is currently leading a six-member opposition jirga that is trying to negotiate a settlement between the government and the PTI.

According to a senior PTI leader, JI leaders had been in regular contact with Maulana Fazalur Rehman, who is a known adversary of the PTI and had been publicly trying to move a no-confidence vote against the KP government until the prime minister talked him out of it.

He said that the JI leadership had, on Wednesday, met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to discuss “the prevailing political situation” in the country. “We are keeping a close eye on these developments and know that some in the JI are in favour of joining hands with the JUI-F against our government in KP. The PTI has taken a principled stand on rigging and, come what may, we will go ahead with our movement,” the PTI leader responded when asked about apprehensions within his party about the possibility of a split with the JI.

After developing differences with the Qaumi Wattan Party of Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, who had eight MPAs in the KP Assembly, the JI is the only remaining coalition partner that the PTI has, with eight MPAs in a house of 124. The PTI is largest party within the assembly with 46 MPAs, followed by 16 members each of the JUI-F and PML-N, five of ANP and 11 independents.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2014