PESHAWAR, Aug 27: The Supreme council of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) will meet in Islamabad on Monday to discuss the post-local government elections scenario and widening differences among the alliance’s component parties.

This was announced by the alliance’s central president Qazi Hussain Ahmad on Saturday while speaking at a women’s rally in front of the Peshawar Press Club.

He said that the supreme council would discuss vital issues in its meeting. He said that the six-party alliance was fully intact and would be strengthened further.

“Once the supreme council meets in Islamabad, the situation will become normal,” Qazi said, but avoided mentioning differences within the alliance. He accused President Gen Pervez Musharraf of exploiting minor differences among the component parties of the MMA.

A tug-of-war between two major partners of the ruling MMA started after Jamaat-i-Islami entered into an agreement with the Awami National Party for the slot of Peshawar city district nazim.

Giving a tit-for-tat response the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) struck a deal with the People’s Party Parliamentarians and Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao) in city district and formed an alliance against the JI and ANP in the district.

The tripartite alliance nominated Haji Ghulam Ali, a close relative of opposition leader in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

The Jamaat-i-Islami complained that NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani was misusing his authority and promoting horse trading of councillors-elect for the success of the JUI-backed candidate.

Speaking at the women’s rally, Qazi Hussain Ahmad demanded that the Election Commission of Pakistan hold re-polling in those union councils where women were barred from the polling.

He alleged that female voters were not allowed to cast their vote in union council Sherpao, the home town of the federal interior minister Aftab Ahmad Khan. He said that activists of the PPP (Sherpao) forcefully closed polling stations in Tangi and did not allow females to cast their vote.

He said that women were also stopped from the polling process in Shangla district, native district of the minister of state for water and power, Engineer Amir Muqam.

He also complained about large-scale rigging during the first and second round of the local body elections across the country and expressed concern over the killings during the process.

Earlier, female workers of the JI, women MPAs and schoolchildren held protest demonstration in front of the Peshawar Press Club and blocked the Sher Shah Suri Road for traffic.

Protesters were brought in buses and coaches from Tangi, Charsadda district. Girls from private schools in Peshawar city also attended the rally.

Carrying placards and banners women protesters chanted slogans against federal interior minister Aftab Ahmad Sherpao and demanded that the Election Commission organise re-polling in the union council Tangi.