By IANS
Islamabad : A constituent of Pakistan’s six-party religious alliance has signalled the end of the coalition, saying it would field its candidates even if the other partners boycotted next month’s general elections.
Denying that the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) has unanimously decided to boycott the polls, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazlur (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman said even if the other partners stayed away, his party would contest on the name and symbol of the alliance.
Speaking to party workers and reporters in the twin city of Rawalpindi, Rahman said the stand taken by MMA president Qazi Hussain Ahmed had created “difficulties” for the JUI-F.
Rahman is the MMA secretary general.
His statement signalled the likely break-up of the MMA, Dawn Thursday quoted Liaquat Baloch of alliance constituent Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) as saying.
According to Baloch, Rahman was “not ready to listen to reason” and was prepared to leave the MMA.
Rahman, however, retorted that “even the Jamaat-i-Islami is not clear about its decision of boycotting the polls and conflicting statements are being issued by the party”.
The Election Commission said earlier this week that some 48 political parties, including the JUI-F and the JI, had applied for separate election symbols.
The commission asked them to appear before it Sunday when the symbols would be allotted.
The JUI-F has asked for the book symbol while the JI has sought the umbrella. The book was the MMA’s original symbol.
Besides the JUI-F and the JI, the MMA comprises the Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees (MJAH), Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Sami-ul-Haq group), Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) and Islami Tehrik Pakistan (ITP).