LAHORE, May 12: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan has ideological differences with the PPP so it will not form an electoral alliance with it, says party chief Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani.

Talking to Dawnat the airport on Sunday on his arrival from Karachi to attend a Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s summit meeting for Monday (today), he said the JUP was a party of principles and it had never joined hands with parties or groups with which it had ideological differences.

“Despite a defeat in the past elections at the hands of the MQM in Karachi and Hyderabad, it never thought of cooperation with ethnic, racist or regional groups.”

Asked what if most of MMA constituents decided to strike an electoral alliance with the PPP and the PML-N, soft spoken Maulana Noorani said: “We are determined that we shall not get along with those who are facing corruption charges. However, if such a developments takes place, we shall decide future course of action after consulting party leaders.”

Asked if the constituents would be allowed to make electoral adjustments with the other parties on a seat-to-seat basis, he said if every party was permitted to form an alliance on its own, where would the MMA stand?

Asked what would be his stance if MMA components sought his explanation for his “controversial” TV interview on referendum, he said the JUP had rejected the referendum, terming it an unconstitutional exercise which had no justification.

He said launching a movement against the government would not be a wise step at a time when India was planning to strike Pakistan, adding “It is time to make preparations for elections and not for an agitation.”

Moreover, he said, the referendum should not have been challenged in the Supreme Court in the first place and once its done, one should accept the verdict.

MMA MEETING: The meeting being organized at the residence of JUP leader Pir Ijaz Hashmi will give a formal approval for the alliance’s constitution. It will also form a parliamentary board to decide the distribution of tickets among the component parties. The coordination committee’s report on contacts with the other political parties for likely alliance will also come under discussion.