LAHORE: The Tehreek-i-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) has decided to support its sectarian brethren in the constituencies where its candidates are not contesting and the effort is aimed at avoiding division of ‘religious votes’, says Ashraf Asif Jalali, chief of the Tehreek.

At a press conference here on Thursday, he listed the candidates the TLY plans to support in the election. They include former federal minister for religious affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi, chief of Nizam-i-Mustafa Party, contesting from NA-175 (Rahim Yar Khan).

Similarly, Sarwat Ijaz Qadri of Sunni Tehreek is contesting from NA-253, Karachi and will get the TLY support and so would be Sahibzada Hamid Raza, chairman Sunni Ittehad Council, contesting from NA-110, Faisalabad. Abu-al-Khair Muhammad Zubair, president Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Noorani), from NA-277 (Hyderabad), and Syed Tauqeer-ul-Husnain Shah of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan from Mianwali (NA-125) are also in the run.

Although the TLY has fielded 102 candidates throughout the country, says Mr Jalali, it will support the candidates of the Sunni sect so that religious vote bank could be saved from the secular forces.

Mr Jalali also vented anger at the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), saying it’s B-team of the PML-N. “The PML-N, PPP and PTI are forces of sin and voting them will only vitiate political atmosphere in the country,” he said.

Speaking to Dawn, Mr Jalali refused to accept that by supporting candidates of one sect he would become vulnerable to accusation of sectarian politics. “This is our identity and we are just trying to maintain that identity. Had this identity been so suspect, the parties like the Sunni Tehreek and the Sunni Ittehad would not have been registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan. The support is only designed to reinforce the identity,” he said.

About prospects of mutual support with the splinter group -- the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, headed by Khadim Hussain Rizvi, he said these things would be sorted out after the elections. “Right now, we are talking about cooperation and keeping the religious vote together. Why take up contentious issues now? They can be delayed for more opportune time,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2018