PESHAWAR, Dec 8: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) has left the door open for seat adjustments with other parties for the January general election. Speaking at a press conference here on Saturday, the JUI (F) provincial chief, Senator Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan, said his party had constituted a three-member committee comprising Senator Khan himself, Maulana Shujaul Mulk and Abdul Jalil Jan to hold negotiations with other parties in this regard.

A separate three-member committee has been formed for the Peshawar district which will hold talks with other parties regarding seat adjustment.

Senator Khan said the JUI would soon release the final list of its candidates for the National and provincial assembly seats in the NWFP. He directed all ‘covering’ candidates of the party to withdraw their nomination papers.

The JUI (F), he said, would contest elections from the platform of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA).

Asked if adjustments were possible with the PML (Q) and Pakistan Peoples Party (Sherpao), both described as pro-Musharraf and pro-America in the religious circles, Senator Khan said his party had opted for seat adjustment and was not entering into any electoral alliance.

He said the MMA had fielded candidates for 35 National Assembly constituencies and 99 general seats of the provincial assembly in the NWFP. Candidates for the reserved seats for minorities and women had also been nominated.

He said that candidates for 12 National Assembly constituencies of the Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata) had also been nominated.

Senator Khan said the JUI (F) was trying to persuade the Jamaat-i-Islami to revisit its decision and participate in the upcoming polls. He claimed that the JUI (F) would fully support the JI candidates in the elections.

“We will be very sorry if the JUI (F) contests elections but not the JI,” he remarked. He said the JUI (F) believed that every party should take part in the elections.