MANSEHRA/NOWSHERA: The Jamaat-i-Islami has decided to move the supreme council of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal against the nomination of its former member by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl for election in PK-32, Mansehra. Both JI and JUI-F are part of the religio-political alliance of the MMA.

Former MPA Ibrar Hussain Tanoli had announced the quitting of the JI and joining of the JUI-F on Monday in the presence of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

The JUI-F was quick to award the former lawmaker the MMA ticket for PK-32 from its quota.

JUI-F rejects objection saying it named Tanoli from own quota

However, the JI expressed reservation about the nomination and said it would challenge it in the supreme council of the MMA.

“We have serious reservations about the award of MMA ticket to Mr Tanoli by the JUI-F and will move the MMA central shura against it,” JI district information secretary Shakir Hussain told Dawn.

He said when Ibrar Hussain was part of the JI, the MMA didn’t name him the PK-32 candidate but he secured that ticket soon after joining the JUI-F. Mr Tanoli had joined the JI three months ago after quitting the Qaumi Watan Party.

JUI-F district information secretary Maulana Saeed Abdullah, who was also present in the Monday meeting, confirmed that his party had fielded Mr Tanoli in PK-32.

“Ibrar Hussain Tanoli will contest election on the MMA ticket as our (JUI-F) contender,” he told Dawn.

He denied differences between his party and the JI over Mr Tanoli’s nomination and said the former lawmaker had approached the JUI-F for the MMA ticket and got the same.

“The Jamaat shouldn’t object to us giving away PK-32 ticket to Mr Tanoli from our own quota,” he said.

The district has five provincial assembly and two National Assembly seats.

Under the MMA nomination formula, the JI is to get ticket for PK-31 only, while the rest will go to the JUI-F.

Also in the day, former minister Habibur Rehman Tanoli quit the JUI-F and said he would contest elections in PK-32 as an independent candidate.

DIFFERENCES: Serious differences cropped up in the MMA Nowshera chapter on Tuesday as district amir Jamaat-i-Islami resigned along with 53 villages amirs against the award of PK 63 ticket.

Addressing a press conference, JI district amir Haji Anwar Islam said that MMA had awarded ticket to those leaders for which other political parties were not ready.

He said he had resigned along with hundred party friends due to wrong policy and award of tickets to wrong people, specifically in Nowshera.Meanwhile, the MMA officially started awarding of tickets and first ticket of PK 62 had awareded to Engineer Amir Alam Khan.

In this connection, a party workers meeting held at Nowshera where MMA provincial vice president Haji Fayaz Khan and others were present.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2018