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LAHORE, Aug 26: Qazi Hussain Ahmed, President of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and Amir of the Jamaat-i-Islami, hinted on Thursday at supporting the candidature of Makhdoom Javed Hashmi for the prime ministership against Mr Shaukat Aziz.
He was talking to newsmen on the occasion of the 64th Foundation Day of the Jamaat. The MMA has convened a meeting of chiefs of its component parties at Islamabad on Friday (today) and the final decision would be taken there.
But the MMA has certainly decided to review the policy of boycotting the election for the premiership. He also did not rule out the possibility of putting up a joint opposition candidate against Mr Aziz.
About allegations by the interior minister that some of the MMA leaders have links with terrorists, he said that those levelling such allegations should better go to courts. "The MMA condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reserves the right to take such careless accusers to courts."
Earlier, addressing the gathering, Qazi Hussain Ahmad said that the JI had been following its principled position in politics for the last 64 years and would continue doing so in future. "Jehad is a way of life for Muslims." He said that state terrorism in Kashmir, Iraq and Palestine was breeding more problems and accentuating the crisis.
MMA's DEMAND: The MMA has demanded of National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain to issue production orders of jailed PML-N President and consensus candidate of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) Makhdoom Javed Hashmi for the leader of the house to enable him to oversee the election, adds our Staff Reporter from Islamabad.
MMA deputy parliamentary leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said that if the production order was not issued it would be deemed that the government had failed to fulfil the requirements of justice and deviated from the democratic norms.
He further said that it would also establish the impression that the process of prime ministerial election would also be unfair as was the case of by-elections in which Mr Shaukat Aziz was declared successful.
Meanwhile, the MMA has convened the joint meeting of its Supreme Council and parliamentary party at 2pm on Friday to decide about support to the joint ARD candidate or boycotting the process as had been decided by the council earlier.
Talking to Dawn, Hafiz Hussain said that though the meeting had been convened to decide whether to support Makhdoom Hashmi much would depend on the attitude of the ARD whether its leadership formally sought MMA's support.
