PESHAWAR, Sept 25: Restoration of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal without Jamaat-i-Islami and other members of the alliance has become an enigma for workers of religio-political parties.

Reacting to JUI-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s statement in Peshawar on Monday about revival of the alliance, Jamaat-i-Islami has said it will not rejoin the platform unless its demands are accepted.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Sami, founding party of MMA, also brushed aside Mr Rehman’s announcement.

JUI-S provincial chief Maulana Yousaf Shah told Dawn that Mr Rehman was politically isolated and made the announcement to mobilise his party workers.

“JUI-Sami has abandoned MMA and will never become its part,” he said.

Mr Shah said his party chief, Maulana Samiul Haq, who was also the chairman of Defa-i-Pakistan Council, might form a new electoral alliance before next general elections.

Mr Sami, from Akora Khattak, was the main architect of MMA, which was established in 2002 and swept polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

“MMA is now an alliance of a few individuals, who have no role in politics to play,” said Mr Shah.

He said like JI, his party also applied for election symbol and Mr Sami would play a decisive role in the next elections.

Mr Rehman had claimed in a news conference on Monday that MMA was fully intact and all component parties except Jamaat-i-Islami were part of the alliance.

He also said JI was no more part of MMA and therefore, only seat-to-seat adjustment was possible in upcoming polls with it.

“We can’t wait for Jamaat-i-Islami anymore and only seat-to-seat adjustment is possible with Jamaat in the next elections,” Mr Rehman had said.

However, political opponents dismissed his claim and said Mr Rehman had pulled in disgruntled people from other parties and formed a ‘new MMA’.

“The revived shape of MMA is a syndicate of a few insignificant persons,” a JI leader told Dawn.

He said Mr Rehman had inducted Pir Abdur Rahim Neqeshbandi of JUI-S from Chakwal, ex-MPA Zakir Shah of Ahle-i-Hadith-Sajid Mir group and Maulana Sibtain of Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan-Noorani group in MMA, who had no political background and significance in electoral politics.

He said banned Tehrik-i-Jafria Pakistan-Sajid Naqvi group had also been divided in various groups and that Alama Ramzan Tauqir, who belonged to Mr Rehman’s hometown, was representing Naqvi group in the alliance.

Meanwhile, JI provincial information secretary Israrullah rejected JUI-F stand and said his party had placed certain conditions for the restoration of MMA.

“JUI-F should review its deep relations with the ruling Pakistan People’s Party and will have to quit coalition government in Balochistan province,” he said in a statement.

Mr Israrullah said JI was awaiting answers of its questions put to JUI-F.

He said JI would contest next elections using the symbol of a scale and was ready for seat-to-seat adjustment with like-minded political parties.

“Jamaat-i-Islami will prefer making adjustment with religious parties to block growing US influence and intervention in the country’s affairs,” he said.