ISLAMABAD, June 12: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal on Wednesday announced its acceptance of the invitation for a consultative meeting with President Gen Pervez Musharraf to discuss the current crisis and the government’s Kashmir policy.
The MMA, in its summit meeting, presided over by Millat-i-Jaferia Pakistan chief Allama Sajid Naqvi, took the decision to express its concerns about the shift in the government’s Kashmir policy, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman told newsmen.
He said: “We have decided to attend the all parties conference to demonstrate our solidarity with the Kashmir cause, keeping aside our fundamental differences on a number of policy matters with the government.”
Replying to a question, Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed said: “We still believe that replacement of chief election commissioner, appointment of a full-time chief of army staff in face of the Indian threat and setting up of an interim government are prerequisites for a political reconciliation.”
He, however, said the demands were not a precondition for meeting the president.
The JUI(F) chief said: “We have a fundamental disagreement with this regime, as we believe it has no right to trample the Constitution.”
Maulana Samiul Haq, chief of his own JUI faction, abstained from the meeting, while Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan leader Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani was out of the country and Sajid Mir was away to mourn his brother’s death.
The MMA, during its meeting, decided to keep the option of making adjustments on seats in the coming elections with other parties open and constituted a coordination committee for the purpose.
Maulana Rahman said the government must take steps to make sure that no Qadiani could cast vote as a Muslim.
The meeting decided to constitute an election committee with Maulana Rahman as its chairman and Liaqat Baloch, Pir Ijaz Hashmi and Mohammad Yusuf Shah as its members. The committee will constitute bodies for the provinces after touring the provincial capitals.
The alliance elected Maulana Noorani as its president, Qazi Ahmed, Allama Naqvi, Maulana Haq and Prof Mir as vice-presidents, Maulana Rahman as secretary-general, Liaqat Baloch and Hafiz Hussain Ahmed as deputy secretary-generals, Ijaz Hashmi as information secretary and Haji Abdur Raziq as finance secretary.
It said the country’s salvation lay in continuation of moral, political and military support to Kashmiri freedom struggle.
The alliance expressed its concern over Indian forces’ firing across the borders, criticised the unjust role of the US and European countries and said the government’s U-turn on the Kashmir policy was unacceptable to the people and they would resist any deal on the issue.
It said the Kashmir issue should be resolved in accordance with the United Nations resolutions and warned against any attempt to term the resolutions dormant or impracticable.