JUI-F, JI mull alliance in Milli Yakjehti Council
Party members say talks are in initial stages, other stakeholders approached.
Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman and Jamat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq. PHOTO: FACEBOOK PAGE JAMAAT-e-ISLAMI
ISLAMABAD:
Recent meetings between the chiefs of the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Jamat-e-Islami (JI) are geared towards the formation of a ‘grand alliance’, which has been termed ‘Milli Yakjehti Council’ for now, The Express Tribune has learned.
While the two parties have been at loggerheads in the past, a change in the JI’s leadership - Sirajul Haq was elected the party’s Ameer in April this year – has reportedly bridged the gap between the two groups.
“The Council is an effort to forge an alliance to battle sectarianism, problems faced by madrassas and other issues,” said a senior JUI-F party member. “We will see how much weight it will carry and our aims are political, not just social,” he told The Express Tribune. He added that while the alliance has been called Milli Yakjehti Council (MYC) for now, the name may be altered.
Confirming that such an alliance is in the works, JUI-F spokesperson Jan Achakzai said his party enjoys a ‘good working relationship with the JI’, but added that the party’s Ameer has met not just with the JI leadership but also those of other religious parties. “We have also met with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) leadership very recently,” he said.
JI spokesperson Shahid Shamsi added that while there has been contact between the two parties, “this is still in its preliminary stage”. “We are still considering the level of cooperation,” he told The Express Tribune, “But we do know that it’s about time the religious parties united.”
Rallies by religious groups and political parties have been a feature throughout May this year, with the JUI-F disowning two of its members at a rally in Islamabad organised by Jamaat-ud-Dawa. The JI leadership was present at the same event. While the rivalry between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf and the JUI-F remains, the JI is considered a trustworthy partner of the PTI within the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 2nd, 2014.
Recent meetings between the chiefs of the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Jamat-e-Islami (JI) are geared towards the formation of a ‘grand alliance’, which has been termed ‘Milli Yakjehti Council’ for now, The Express Tribune has learned.
While the two parties have been at loggerheads in the past, a change in the JI’s leadership - Sirajul Haq was elected the party’s Ameer in April this year – has reportedly bridged the gap between the two groups.
“The Council is an effort to forge an alliance to battle sectarianism, problems faced by madrassas and other issues,” said a senior JUI-F party member. “We will see how much weight it will carry and our aims are political, not just social,” he told The Express Tribune. He added that while the alliance has been called Milli Yakjehti Council (MYC) for now, the name may be altered.
Confirming that such an alliance is in the works, JUI-F spokesperson Jan Achakzai said his party enjoys a ‘good working relationship with the JI’, but added that the party’s Ameer has met not just with the JI leadership but also those of other religious parties. “We have also met with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) leadership very recently,” he said.
JI spokesperson Shahid Shamsi added that while there has been contact between the two parties, “this is still in its preliminary stage”. “We are still considering the level of cooperation,” he told The Express Tribune, “But we do know that it’s about time the religious parties united.”
Rallies by religious groups and political parties have been a feature throughout May this year, with the JUI-F disowning two of its members at a rally in Islamabad organised by Jamaat-ud-Dawa. The JI leadership was present at the same event. While the rivalry between the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf and the JUI-F remains, the JI is considered a trustworthy partner of the PTI within the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government.
The MYC was revived in 2012 and Qazi Hussain Ahmad elected to head an alliance that included 19 leaders from various political parties.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 2nd, 2014.