ISLAMABAD: The current political situation in the country and the region — especially after the announcement of a new US policy for South Asia and President Donald Trump’s allegations against Pakistan — has provided an opportunity to religious parties of the country to establish a united platform or revive the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA).

In this connection, leaders of those religious parties which were members of the MMA have held meetings and developed contacts in recent days.

Formed in 2002 ostensibly to oppose the Musharraf government’s policy of joining the US-led war on terror, the MMA was a political alliance of six religious parties — Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), both factions of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam namely Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led (JUI-F) and Maulana Samiul Haq-led (JUI-S), Shah Ahmed Noorani-led Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP), Prof Sajid Mir-led Jamiat Ahle Hadith (JAH) and the now defunct Tehreek-i-Jafria Pakistan (TJP) of Allama Sajid Naqvi.

The MMA performed well in the 2002 general elections and formed the provincial government in the then NWFP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). It split in 2007 after a rift between the two largest parties in the alliance, JI and JUI-F, deepened.

The defunct alliance may invite some new parties

Interestingly, leaders of the JI and JUI-F, which followed different paths during the 2008 and 2013 general elections, seem more active in making efforts for MMA revival.

Talking to Dawn recently, JUP-Noorani president Sahibzada Abul Khair Zubair said that it was due to differences between the JI and JUI-F that parties in the MMA could not contest the 2008 and 2013 elections from a joint platform.

According to sources, JI and JUI-F leaders have agreed to revive the MMA.

JI Naib Amir Mian Aslam said that he and Liaquat Baloch held a meeting with the JUI-F’s top leadership about a month ago to discuss the issue. He said JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had formed a six-member committee in this connection.

Mr Aslam said JUI-F secretary general Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, who is heading the six-member committee, had held meetings with JUP-Noorani president Sahibzada Zubair, Allama Sajid Naqvi who now heads Shia Ulema Council (SUC) and other religious leaders.

A central leader of SUC, Allama Arif Wahidi, has confirmed such meetings.

The need for the establishment of a united political platform for religious parties has also been stressed by Saifullah Khalid, president of the newly formed political party of the banned Jamaatud Dawa — Milli Muslim League (MML).

He said recently that the alliance of all religious forces was the need of the hour. His party, he added, was ready to join any united platform, including the MMA.

According to the sources, it is expected that those striving for the revival of the MMA will also try to include some new religious groups in the alliance, such as Allama Amin Shaheedi-led Ummat-i-Wahida, a splinter group of Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM). They said Maulana Haideri had also held meetings with MML leaders.

Political analysts, however, expressed their doubts about the success of the efforts for MMA’s revival.

Amir Rana, director at the Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Institute of Political Studies, says that there are several strong lobbies within religious parties which may oppose their unification.

As pointed out by Mr Rana, such a case was witnessed when a four-member delegation led by Allama Arif Wahidi attended the 100-year celebrations of JUI-F in Nowshera.

Members of the delegation of the Shia party were given seats alongside the chief guest — the Imam of Kaaba.

According to the sources, there was resentment within the JUI-F for giving such a protocol to the representatives of a Shia party.

An MWM leader is of the opinion that a number of people who once worked for Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan and then Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat joined the JUI-F after their parties were banned by the government. They have extremist views for people belonging to Islam’s other schools of thought and they will oppose any alliance with them.

Although, JUI-F or JI leaders have so far not held any meeting with the MWM leadership, insiders in the party have not expressed enthusiasm for joining the MMA.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2017