ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) have agreed to formulate a “joint strategy” for the next general elections.

The decision was made by the leaderships of the two parties at a meeting also attended by JUI-S chief Maulana Samiul Haq and PTI chairman Imran Khan, said a handout issued by the PTI’s media department here on Sunday.

The leaders of the two parties agreed to continue consultations and contacts with each other so that they could come closer before the next elections.

Move comes when efforts are being made to revive MMA

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, Information Minister Shah Farman, Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani and Maulana Syed Samar Yousuf were present on the occasion.

“In the meeting, the leaderships of both the parties in principle agreed to continue consultative meetings to prepare a joint strategy for the next elections so that the two parties could jointly struggle to bring the country out of the present crises and difficulties,” said the statement.

The PTI chief was of the view that the country could not make any progress without eradicating corruption.

Maulana Sami praised the KP government’s “pro-Islamic steps” in the province. He said the country had been besieged by enemies and there was a need for a united struggle to face the current situation.

The Maulana, who is also known as the “father of Taliban”, said the ideologies of the two parties had similarities and they could work together.

Some analysts thought the meeting between Maulana Sami and Mr Khan was an important event as it had taken place at a time when the country’s key religious parties had launched efforts to revive the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, a political alliance.

The JUI-S was an important part of the nine-party MMA that had been formed by the religious parties to contest the general elections in 2002 from a joint platform.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2017