ISLAMABAD, July 31: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has rejected what it terms president’s adverse remarks in his Swat public rally about the alliance’s stand on women representation in elections.

A spokesman for the MMA said that the component parties of the alliance had always strived for empowering of women according to their rights enshrined in Islamic teachings.

“The MMA has given maximum representation to women in parliament and the women affiliated with it were taking full part in the elections,” said the spokesman.

He said the president had tried to mislead the people through his wrong statements.

General Pervez, he said, was running the election campaign of the ruling party by lashing out at religious parties in violation of the election’s code of conduct.

“The MMA has nothing to do with religious extremism as the alliance has always voiced against such an attitude,” the spokesman said.

The MMA spokesman criticized General Musharraf for striking a “deal with an extremist party in Karachi, which is a notorious ethnic group and has sabotaged peace of the city”.

He alleged that Muttahida members were taking over the local body offices and hoisting party flags on them in violation of non-party elections and the code of conduct of the polls.