LAHORE, Sept 16: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has sharply reacted to a questionnaire sent by the US embassy to one of its candidates to “know its policy towards Washington”, saying that the US has no right to collect such information.

MMA central information secretary Pir Ijaz Hashmi said the US was targeting every point at which the Islamic forces assembled.

“The US is used to issuing such pro formas to promote its own objectives, but the Majlis will not accept dictation from any quarter,” Mr Hashmi told Dawn here on Monday.

The candidate would face disciplinary action for replying to the questionnaire without consulting the central leadership, he said.

Mr Hashmi however hastened to add that the six-member religious parties’ alliance, if voted to power, would follow the policy of “live and let live” and establish friendly ties with all those countries that were recognized by Pakistan.

Asked as to what would be the MMA’s reaction if the government did not allow its road march, he said the alliance wanted to hold a peaceful march to explain its manifesto to the masses.

However, the alliance would never give any chance to the government to postpone elections, he said.

Answering a question about Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf’s proposal for a joint struggle against rigging on the polling day, he said the MMA would give a positive response to any such suggestion although he believed that the government would be unable to rig the elections in the presence of contestants, their polling agents and thousands of activists.

About PML-J chief Hamid Nasir Chattha’s statement that he was seeking electoral cooperation with the PML-N and MMA, Mr Hashmi said the alliance had received no such proposal. However, the matter would be given serious consideration if put up properly, he added.

Earlier, while talking to reporters after formally inaugurating the party’s media cell, the MMA information secretary said no constituent of the alliance would be allowed to make individual adjustments with other parties on seats for which the alliance had issued its ticket.

However, every component could individually decide electoral cooperation with other parties on seats for which no MMA nominee was in the field, he said while replying to a question about Jamaat-i-Islami leader Hafiz Salman Butt’s candidature for NA-118 from PML-N platform, although the MMA had issued its ticket to Hafiz Abdul Wadood of JUI-F. “The matter would be resolved amicably,” he said without elaborating.

JI information secretary Amirul Azeem who was also present on the occasion said that his party was reviewing the issue and would take the final decision by Tuesday evening. According to him, the alliance had not yet decided adjustments on certain seats including NA-118.

About electoral cooperation with PML-QA, they said the alliance had kept all options open.

JUI-F information secretary Riaz Durrani and JUP-Noorani (Punjab) president Qari Zawwar Bahadur were also present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, the JUI-F has refused to withdraw its candidate for NA-118 despite pressure from the JI.

A JUI-F leader said the party was also not ready to withdraw its candidate for PP-150, Maulana Mohibun Nabi, in favour of PML-N’s Mehr Ishtiaq Ahmad.

When contacted, Mr Butt said that being a member of the JI’s executive committee, he would abide by the decisions of the party.