First the open sniping between the JUI (F) and JI during the resigntions drama, and now the Bajur by-election where Qazi’s party is acting like the terrorists the Musharraf govt has always rightly claimed that these people are.
JUI-F accuses JI of exploiting religion
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Tuesday criticised the Jamaat-e-Islami for exploiting the religious sentiments of people over the Bajaur Agency by-poll scheduled for January 10. The JI’s Sahibzada Haroonur Rashid quit his National Assembly seat in protest at the October 30 airstrike on a madrassa in Bajaur, and is now leading a campaign against the January 10 by-polls.
Senator Abdur Rashid from Bajaur Agency told a press conference that the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal would not accept responsibility for any incident. “Some parties are trying to score political points over the issue, and they are using the MMA platform for this purpose,” said the senator in an indirect reference to the JI-led campaign. Rashid said that participation in the January 10 poll was a democratic and constitutional right of the people of Bajaur. The polls had nothing to do with the deaths of the “innocent people” killed in the strike, he added. The JUI-F senator also criticised the JI for bran-ding opponents of the by-poll “friends of martyrs” and supporters “friend of the US”. “If the by-poll takes place, it will not hurt the families who lost their relatives in the airstrike,” he said. Meanwhile, Individual Land, a cyber citizens’ group with a wide readership both in Pakistan and outside, wrote a letter to the chief election commissioner to bring to his notice the JI’s efforts to “disrupt peaceful and democratic Bajaur by-poll”.
Re: MMA factions at war - JUI-F accuses JI of exploiting religion
The terroristic behaviour of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in Bajur has been testing the MMA alliance for quite a few weeks.
Jamaat threatens to disrupt by-poll in Bajaur Agency
A jirga organised by the Jamaat-e-Islami on Sunday threatened to besiege the homes of candidates taking part in a by-election for the National Assembly seat from Bajaur Agency vacated by Sahibzada Haroonur Rashid in protest against an airstrike on a madrassa in which more than 80 people were killed a few weeks ago. The jirga demanded the government cancel the by-election and warned that the tribesmen would destroy ballot boxes at the polling stations if the election were conducted. The jirga warned people against filing nomination papers for the constituency, saying that those participating in the election would be considered enemies of the madrassa air raid victims. Addressing the jirga, former MNA Haroonur Rashid said that he had promised the people of his constituency that he would avenge “the blood of martyrs” and had resigned from the National Assembly in protest against the airstrike. He said that the government had announced a by-election in the area to divert people’s attention and urged the people not to participate in the polling.
Re: MMA factions at war - JUI-F accuses JI of exploiting religion
The JI are proving to their own MMA partners and Pakistan that Musharraf was spot on when he declared that their people were involved in terrorist acts in Bajur.
Split in MMA over Bajaur by-election
The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal suffered a major setback on Tuesday after Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F), a key component of the religious alliance, announced that it would take part in the by-election to the NA-44 constituency in Bajaur Agency.
Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, the JUI (F) deputy general secretary, Senator Maulana Abdul Rashid, said the MMA had nothing to do with the election boycott and his party would participate in the process.
Sahibzada Haroon-ur-Rasheed, naib amir of the Jamaat, won the seat in the last election, but resigned to protest against the Oct 30 bombing of a madressah in the area that left at least 80 people dead. The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced holding of the by-election to the seat on Jan 10. The JUI leader accused the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) of trying to achieve political mileage by launching a movement against the by-election. “Regrettably, the JI is using the MMA platform for negative activities and trying to disturb peaceful environment of the Agency by threatening the people and boycotting the poll,” he said. Maulana Rashid said that no individual or party could deprive the people of their democratic and constitutional right. Criticising policies of the Jamaat-i-Islami, he said that through such tactics, the Jamaat was betraying the people, and trying to create the law and order situation in the area. Such policies, he said, did not serve interests of the people of the area. He pledged that the MMA would fully support the by-election, and appealed to the people to participate in the election. He said the MMA would soon issue a show-cause notice to the JI for its negative activities, and added that the Jamaat workers had no right to stop the people from casting votes or besieging the polling stations. However, the Jamaat chief of the Bajaur Agency, Sardar Khan, told Dawn by phone that the MMA had boycotted the by-election, and the people would not allow anybody to conduct elections on Jan 10. “This can be Senator Rashid’s personal opinion, but he cannot speak on behalf of the MMA,” Sardar Khan said. He said former MNA Sahibzada Haroon Rashid was a nominee of the MMA for the by-election, but he had announced a boycott of the election.
Re: MMA factions at war - JUI-F accuses JI of exploiting religion
Safayd karney walla mantar bhejiye, payment on NET 30 terms
If there is a breakup between the JI and JUI, the question is, is it happening to soon considering there is still considerable time left before the elections.
Re: MMA factions at war - JUI-F accuses JI of exploiting religion
From the debacle of that resignation drama, now Maulana Diesel like all the opposition leaders is lining up to in effect admit that Musharraf is going nowhere.
No objection to contest polls under Musharraf: Fazl
Opposition leader in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday said that he had no objection to contest elections in the presence of President Musharraf. Talking to the Pakistani media persons here on Sunday, he said that the real opposition in parliament was the MMA and not the PPP. He urged the people to support him to restore a true democracy in the country
