TIMERGARA, Nov 24: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) has decided to part ways with the Jamaat-i- Islami (JI) in the Lower Dir district over what it called the cold shoulder given to its members by the JI ministers in the past five years. And the party has announced the names of its own candidates for the upcoming elections.

Party spokesman Shahid Mehmood told Dawn that the decision to go it alone was made at a meeting of the party’s executive body held here on Saturday. The meeting was presided over by district amir Maulana Zahid Khan. All the tehsils’ amirs, party nazims and members of the district executive body participated in the meeting.

The meeting thoroughly discussed the affairs of the MMA and its internal differences. The participants said the JI had pledged in 2002 that all decisions regarding developmental schemes and postings and transfer would be taken in consultation with the workers of all component parties of the MMA, but the JI had ignored the JUI workers in the Lower Dir area.

They declared that now the JUI-F was going to field its own candidates to contest the elections.

However, if the JI appeared to change its policy, JUI workers would support the JI’s candidates in all constituencies of Lower Dir, they added. The party’s district chapter also announced the names of its candidates and said they would contest on all seats, if the JI did not change its attitude.