Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman and Jamat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq. PHOTO: FACEBOOK PAGE JAMAAT-e-ISLAMI
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.
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It appears respectable Maulana Fazlur Rehman used all his chips, first to block PTI coalition government in KPK but PMLN wisely not to help him in horse-trading, then respectable Maulana exerted all possible pressure to get high profile recognition in negotiation between treasury and TTP, but again PMLN prefer a role for respectable Maulana Samil ul Haq and PTI than JUI-F, then respectable Maulana tried his level best to get share in federal government, but once again PMLN only offerred him ceremonious ministries without much power. So as a last resort, JUI-F felt the wave of protest from PTI, PAT, other religious parties against government, so want to use this opportunity to pressure government to get more power in federal cabinet. But I am sure JI knew him very well, and a more diplomatic Siraju ul Haq as compared to straight forward Munawar Hassan, will not be fooled by Maulana.
Interesting body language
A Good Move indeed to gather all religious parties at least on a forum/gathering .