OKARA, Oct 27: The MMA will help form a sound opposition in National Assembly if Maulana Fazalur Rehman fails in his bid for the office of prime minister.

Speaking at the marriage ceremony of his friend Chaudhry Nazir Ahmed of Renala Khurd on Sunday afternoon, MNA-elect Liaqat Baloch of the MMA also denied reports that MNA-elect Maulana Azam Tariq was joining the MMA or the two groups of Jamaat-i-Ulema Islam (JUI).

Mr Baloch said the PPP-P and PML-Q were facing internal frictions over the issue of prime minister. He said the MMA was holding dialogues with the PPP-P, PML-Q, PML-N and National Alliance, but had categorically made it clear to the leadership of these parties that the MMA would join the government only if Maulana Fazalur Rehman was the prime minister.

Replying to a question, Mr Baloch said the Supreme Council of MMA had decided that Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani would contest the Senate election from Sindh and Allama Sajid Naqvi and Professor Sajid Mir from the Punjab.

The JI has recommended names of Professor Khurshid Ahmad, Professor Mohammad Ibrahim, Dr Murad Ali Shah and Dr Mohammad Saad to the central parliamentary board of MMA for Senate election from the NWFP.

He further clarified that he would have no objections if the first session of National Assembly was presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Justice Irshad Hasan Khan (retired). “We have accepted the general election conducted by him and we will be ready to take oath from him. Our only demand is that the words of oath written in the 1973 constitution not be changed.”