PESHAWAR, Oct 18: A decision taken nine months ago by the central council of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Sami) to leave the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal is yet to be implemented.
According to JUI-S leaders,the party chief had been given one month to formally announce the decision to quit thealliance.
Ikramullah Shahid, deputy speaker of the NWFP assembly and an MPA of JUI-S, told Dawn that the provincial shura (council) of the NWFP chapter of the JUI-S, in its meeting on Sept 22, 2003, had decided to boycott MMA's activities as a mark of protest against the 'attitude' of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazal) and Jamaat-i-Islami- the two major component parties of the six-member religious parties conglomerate.
Whereas, the party's central shura, he added, in its meeting held on Jan 15, 2004, had decided to end association with MMA because of the JUI-F and JI's refusal to accept JUI-S's demands.
In this respect, said Mr Shahid, the shura had given one month to party chief Maulana Sami-ul-Haq to make MMA accept JUI-S's demands or, as a last resort, make formal announcement of its [shura's] decision to leave the alliance.
"The shura had recommended toMaulana Sami-ul-Haq to formally announce dissociation if the MMA does not accept the party's demands in a month," said Mr Shahid.
However, well over eight months have passed since the one-month deadline set forth by the JUI-S's shura has passed and JUI-S chief Maulana Sami-ul-Haq has neither reconciled his differences with MMA's leaders nor has he implemented his party's decision.
Though he had been criticizing the MMA and its NWFP government's policies in the press and public meetings, he ignored the central shura's decision to formally part ways with the alliance.
"Why shall we (JUI-S) leave the alliance, which we founded," said Yousuf Shah, the general-secretary of the NWFP-chapter of JUI-S, when asked about implementation of the Shura's decision.
"We are not going to abandon it, rather, we would make others to leave it for failing to fulfil their promises with the masses," he added.
The party, which has two representatives in the NWFP assembly and three in the National Assembly, developed differences with MMA's major parties, the JUI-F and JI, over the issues of representation in the provincial cabinet and distribution of senate seats among the MMA member parties.
However, Yousuf Shah and Ikram Ullah Shahid said their party had boycotted MMA's activities because it had been converted into a two-party alliance by the JUI-F and JI.
Ever since they formed a government in the NWFP, said Yousuf Shah, the MMA stopped opposing American invasion of Afghanistan, kept silence over raids on religious seminaries and did nothing to stop federal government from carrying out military operation in the tribal areas.
"Similarly, they did not support JUI-S MNA Maulana Haamid-ul-Haq's move to table a Shariat bill in the National Assembly," said Yousuf Shah.
The Maulana said his party leaders had not attended the MMA's supreme council's meetings for well over eight months, showing disregard to MMA's policies.
He also chose to stay away from the recently-held three-day political congregation of the Jamaat, which was arranged in Azakhel, Nowshera district. Maulana's son Haamid-ul-Haq had been elected to the National ssembly on MMA's ticket in the Oct 2002 elections.
JI sources said the Maulana had been invited to the three-day meeting, but he could not attend it because of his engagements, said S.A.Shamsi, JI's deputy secretary information. However, Yousuf Shah of the JUI-S, said his party did not attend the JI congregation "because we did not deem it necessary".
Mr Shamsi said Maulana Sami was represented by his party's MNA from Karachi, Qari Gul Rehman, in the JI's congregation - an impression rejected by JUI-S leader Yousuf Shah.
"We will not attend MMA's supreme council's meetings or any other activity unless they (JUI-F and JI) put the alliance back on its right track," said Yousuf Shah.