–Interest-driven religious alliance caught up in widening distrust between coalition partners
–The seat adjustment likely to benefit JUI-F, not JI
ISLAMABAD: Despite the presence of a considerable vote bank of the religious parties, it seems a herculean task for the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) to repeat the performance of 2002 general elections this time around owing to the prevailing confusion, internal crevice and widening distrust within the coalition partners of the religious group.
In 2002, the MMA was more of a formidable political force, where all leading religious parties were part of the alliance and had a strong political programme in shape of the United States’ (US) invasion in Afghanistan, which they exploited quite artistically.
However, at present, the situation is different altogether as neither all religious political parties are part of the alliance nor they have the slogan of foreign invaders in Afghanistan. Also, Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) could dent their votes in the forthcoming polls.
It is widely believed that the MMA virtually has nothing to cash on this time around, hence the leadership resorted to the use of religious card once again and claimed that the aim of their struggle was to develop the society and form an Islamic welfare state.
However, the religious group hitherto failed to attract the voters mainly due to their infighting and seemingly lack of commitment with the slogan because of their past as they easily joined every government without a pre-condition of establishing Islamic system in the country.
Sources said that the JI even was not interested in the formation of the MMA but it was the desire of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazal Rehman to make the alliance to give tough time to the PTI in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
However, since elections are fast approaching while fissure within the interest-driven MMA propped up, as the chief of Jamiat Ahle Hadith (JAH) Senator Professor Sajid Mir has categorically directed his supporters to vote for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) instead of the religious alliance.
He pleaded that not a single candidate of the MMA in Punjab is in a position to win the elections. He argued that his party will not become part of any game to make a dent the PML-N vote bank.
It is worth mentioning here that Sajid Mir’s Jamiat Ahle Hadith is part of the MMA – an alliance of six religious parties – which also includes JUI-F, JI, Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP), and Tehreek-i-Islami (TI).
INTERNAL FISSURE:
In another surprising development, former MPA Ibrar Hussain Tanoli had quit the JI and joined JUI-F. Fazlur Rehman himself welcomed him and even awarded him THE MMA ticket for Mansehra’s PK-32 despite JI’s strong resistance. The JUI-F leadership turned down the objection raised by JI that Tanoli was given the ticket for PK-32 from own quota.
On the hand, the JI provincial chief has expelled its district chief Haji Anwarul Islam on charges of supporting candidates of PTI instead of the MMA.
However, in another such instance, five-time MPA Ch Ashgar Ali Gujjar, the vice president of JI in Punjab, contesting elections in PP-284 (Layyah city) on MMA ticket, has made a seat adjustment with PML-N. Interestingly, Ch Ashgar is opposing the MMA candidate Dr Bilal Klasra on National Assembly seat in favour of the PML-N nominee.
The JI might be the greater loser of the alliance while only the JUI-F could get some benefit from the fragile interest-driven alliance. Several senior members of the JI quit as rifts continued to deepen within the MMA due to the dominating role played by the JUI-F in the issuance of party tickets for the upcoming polls.
CONFUSED POLITICAL APPROACH:
Due to the policy difference over the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) merger with KP, it was decided to leave open the area for distribution of tickets for 12 NA seats in the region. They all contested elections in the tribal region on their own instead of from the MMA’s platform in order to avoid further friction in the ranks.
Moreover, MMA entered into a seat adjustment with the rather secular Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in Peshawar, where the later has withdrawn its candidate Irfanullah, who was running for PK-78, in support of MMA nominee Ghulam Ali and declared him as their joint candidate. He is also running for National Assembly constituency NA-27.
Similarly, the MMA nominee for NA-3, Swat, withdrew its candidate Maulana Hujjatullah in support of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif. However, Hujjatullah revolted against the party’s policy and decided to contest the elections as an independent candidate.
Talking to Pakistan Today, MMA Secretary General Liaqat Baloch admitted that there are minor issues within the religious alliance, however, he expressed optimism that they would be sorted out.
He said that Sajid Mir had some differences but his leaders are campaigning with MMA as he did not quit the alliance. About awarding ticket by JUI-F to JI’s defector, he said that it’s not a big issue since he is a candidate of the MMA.
To a question as to why MMA candidates are supporting their rivals, he said that at some constituencies where they failed to evolve a consensus, the local leadership was authorised to make seat adjustment in their own.
When asked whether such a fractured MMA could repeat history, he said that majority seats were awarded with consensus hence the MMA could get considerable seats in the polls.
To a question, as to how MMA would convince voters about its narrative of enforcing the Islamic system, when the group is open to making an alliance with every party, he said that they made an alliance for some seats which would not affect their basic narratives of establishing ‘Nizam-e-Mustafa’.
