LAHORE, Sept 2: Jamaat-i-Islami amir and MMA vice-president Qazi Husain Ahmad left here on Monday for Jeddah to perform Umra.

He will return Pakistan on Sept 6 to participate in the train march scheduled for Sept 7.

During his stay in Saudi Arabia, he is likely to see the Sharif family to discuss an electoral cooperation between the PML-N and the MMA.

The MMA leadership had earlier been hoping that Mian Shahbaz Sharif would return to the country before the completion of nomination and scrutiny process and the whole leadership could discuss the issue with him.

But the hopes could not materialize as the Sharifs failed to strike any deal with the government for their return.

The MMA had earlier selected Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith chief Prof Sajid Mir as its emissary to hold talks with the Sharifs in Jeddah as two out of the six MMA leaders — Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani of the JUP and Allama Sajid Naqvi of the Islami Tehrik — had been barred by the Saudi government from visiting the country due to certain reasons.

Mr Mir, however, did not go abroad to accomplish the task in the second week of August, as planned, and later he developed differences with the other constituents of the MMA.