Forging alliances: Religious parties join hands to contest general elections

Muttahida Deeni Mahaz chief says leaders of other parties have also been invited.


Our Correspondent February 10, 2013
File photo of a voter casting his vote. PHOTO: SANA/ FILE

PESHAWAR:


An alliance of six religious parties formed under the banner of Muttahida Deeni Mahaz (MDM) will field a joint candidate from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) for the upcoming general elections.


The announcement was made by MDM’s provincial head Maulana Hamidullah Haqqani while addressing a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Saturday.

He said five politico-religious parties had pledged their alliance to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam faction led by Samiul Haq, JUI-S. These parties are Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Noorani (JUI-N), Pakistan Rah-e-Haq Party, Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadees, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan.

Haqqani said the parties had joined hands to end the prevailing political uncertainty and chaos, which he added, has engulfed the city. “We expect other religious parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), to also come forward and extend their support to JUI-S for this common objective.”

He added the chief of Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Pakistan Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan and former Inter-Services Intelligence chief General (retd) Hamid Gul had also expressed their willingness to be a part of the alliance.



“We have also invited PTI, PML-N, JUI-F and JI among others against the secular agenda to join hands with us,” maintained Haqqani.

Haqqani said religious parties have become a stronger force and will continue to gain strength in the coming days as more parties are expected to come into the fold. He added the MDM will decide on seat adjustments after meeting the leadership of all six parties. Consequently, joint candidates will be announced for both the national and provincial levels.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10th, 2013.

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