ISLAMABAD, Nov 14: The Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam(F), the major component of the six-party Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), has opted to prepare for the 2007 election instead of launching an anti-government campaign as decided by the Jamaat-i-Islami in Lahore.

The party decided in its two-day meeting of the newly-elected executive committee chaired by party chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman in Islamabad to start holding district and divisional level party workers conventions as the first step towards election preparations, without even discussing the much-trumpeted agitation movement to oust the Musharraf regime.

The Jamaat-i-Islami’s top consultative body (Majlis-i-Shoora) had decided in its three-day moot in Lahore the other day to launch a forceful movement against the government and to start public mobilisation for the purpose immediately.

The JUI(F) decision would be a blow to the unity of the MMA as its relations with the JI, which are already soaring on a number of issues, may be severed and in turn benefit Gen Musharraf’s regime. The decision would also help the government in fizzling out any agitation if started by the JI on its own or in conjunction with only a couple of other parties in the religious alliance.

Talking to a group of newsmen after the party meeting, party chief and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rahman said that the government would be sent home if it tried to pass the PWR bill of the select committee.