ISLAMABAD, Dec 5: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman has said that his party will field candidates on where parties in the MMA boycotting the elections will not contest.

Talking to JUI workers and journalists in Rawalpindi, the Maulana said the stand taken by Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal president Qazi Hussain Ahmed had created difficulties for his party.

He denied that the MMA had unanimously decided to boycott the elections.

He said that if other parties boycotted the polls, the JUI would contest using the name and symbol of the MMA.

Boycotting the elections would be deemed as a party’s individual decision and any party taking such a decision would stand separated from MMA, he said.

The statement signalled a likely break-up of the MMA, Jamaat-i-Islami leader Liaquat Baloch told Dawn.

He said Maulana Fazl was not ready to listen to reason and he was prepared to leave the MMA, adding that he had announced that his party would participate in the elections immediately after imposition of the state of emergency and the Provisional Constitution Order.

However, Maulana Fazl asserted that “even the Jamaat-i-Islami is not clear about its decision of boycotting the polls and conflicting statements are being issued by the party, while the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) is also facing severe opposition from within its ranks.”

All possible efforts would be made to keep the MMA intact, he said.

“Elections in Pakistan have never been held in a free and fair manner and there have been allegations of rigging in every election. We should accept the ground realities.”

He said the JUI would keep the viewpoint of the MMA alive and if the allied parties boycotted the polls the JUI would field its candidates in their constituencies.