LAHORE, March 16: Chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Maulana Samiul Haq on Saturday appealed to all parties (religious or political) trying to free Pakistan from US slavery to contest elections from a single platform.

Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the five-party alliance Muttahida Deeni Mahaz (MDM), Haq warned JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman against attempting “solo flight,” which can “weaken anti-US alliance and strengthen hands of enemies of Islam and Pakistan.”

He was flanked by other heads of MDM parties: Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) chief Maulana Muhammad Ahmad Ludhianvi, Jamiat Ahle Hadith chief Ibtesam Elahi Zaheer, JUI-Nazriati leader Zubair Bari, JUP-SA chief Pir Mehfooz Masahdi and Tehrik Tahaffuz Pakistan (TTP) Punjab leader Engr Imtiaz Ahmad.

Earlier, the MDM decided to contest elections on single manifesto and symbol – ladder. They also fully supported the recent electoral reforms in the nomination form and appealed to the Election Commission not to back down on the pressure of ruling parties. They also condemned the treasury and opposition members for not consulting other parties outside the parliament for the caretaker set-up.

Replying to a question at the press conference, Samiual Haq denied talks with the Taliban or trying to play guarantor for any potential agreement. “The government and Taliban are the parties in the talks and if they need any guarantee it must be the army,” he said.

“Foreign agents roaming in the country were trying to fan sectarianism by targeting different sects and the media and the government were following the Western lead by deflecting the blame on the Taliban,” he claimed.

Maulana Ludhianvi warned the Punjab government against detention of ASWJ workers and said PML-N would face “consequences” for victimising those workers. He reminded Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif that ASWJ had withdrawn its candidate against him in Bhakkar elections otherwise he would not have been sitting in the assembly.