MMA revived minus JI, JUI-S
19 October, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The originally six-party religio-political alliance of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal seemed to have shrunk to a four-party coalition, as two former component parties of MMA – Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) – did not participate in Thursday's meeting held to announce revival of the alliance. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP), Markazi Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith, Islami Tehreek and the JUI-Sami's splinter group – JUI-Senior participated in the meeting and decided to revive the alliance. "It has been decided in principle to revive the alliance of the religious parties. This decision has been taken in view of country's political situation," JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman announced while addressing a press conference after the meeting. The JUI-Senior is being led by Pir Abdur Rahim Naqshbandi and would be the fifth party of the alliance. To a question, Fazl told the media the issue of the JI's participation in the meeting was not discussed. He is also most likely to head the new MMA, sources in religious parties said. Fazl said if the JI contacted later and desired to be part of the new alliance, the next strategy would be chalked out in the light of the request. He said further the matter regarding the JI would be deliberated in the next meeting. He said when the MMA was constituted in 2002, the state of affairs was different from the prevailing situation. At that time, Afghanistan was burning but now the inferno had reached to Pakistan. Today, the country is facing internal and external challenges simultaneously, he added. End.
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