The representatives of six religious parties on Tuesday unanimously decided in favour of an electoral alliance in order to achieve the objectives of Pakistan’s creation, and to enforce Shariah. A meeting was held at the residence of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) General Secretary Liaqat Baloch in this regard. The participants of the meeting decided to forge an alliance in order to launch a democratic struggle to get rid of the present “corrupt” government headed by President Asif Ali Zardari. They also pledged to resolve the issues of inflation, unemployment, extortion, targeted killings, missing persons’ recovery, ending military operation in the tribal belt and Balochistan, and getting rid of the shackles of “US slavery”.
Among others, the meeting was attended by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) leaders Abdur Rauf Farooqi, Yousuf Shah and Makhdoom Aasim; JUI- Ideological (JUI-I) leaders Zubair Khan and Nauman Siddiqui; Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP-Sawad-e-Azam)’s Pir Mahfuz Mashhadi, and Muhammad Khan Leghari; Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat’s Dr Khadim Husain Dhillon, Shams-ur-Rahman Moawiya, and Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith’s Ibtesam Elahi Zaheer. The meeting decided that the heads of the participating parties would meet soon to work out the modalities of the alliance. Talking to reporters, JI General Secretary Liaqat Baloch said that elections had become inevitable and that anyone trying to run away from elections would invite his political death. He said the constitution provided a five-year period for an elected government, and that no one had the authority to extend it. Baloch further said that the religious parties should not do politics under President Zardari’s umbrella and should become independent. He told a questioner that he had no personal difference with the JUI-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rahman. To another question, Baloch said that efforts were underway for a new alliance in Karachi against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). He said that the number of hides donated to his party on Eidul Azha was two percent higher than the last year. He also thanked the governments of Turkey and Egypt for praising the social and humanitarian work of his party, and its subsidiary, Al-Khidmat Foundation.
