Religious parties restore former electoral alliance MMA

KARACHI: Disbanded Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), an electoral alliance of five religio-political parties, has been formally revived ahead of the General Elections 2018 in the country.

The decision of restoring the former alliance was announced on Wednesday by Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) chief Shah Ovais Noorani at his residence here amidst presence of central leadership of the five member parties.

Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Mualana Fazlur Rahman, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Amir Sirajul Haq, Jamiat Ahle Hadith (JAH) chief Allama Sajid Mir, and Tehreek-i-Islami (TI) chief Allama Sajid Naqvi attended the meeting endorsing the revival decision made a month ago.

“The five-member coalition will contest upcoming general elections 2018 with the previous electoral symbol (book) and its manifesto will be drafted within a month,” announced Noorani after the meeting.

He said that the names of the office bearers and other officials would also be announced within a month.

On the occasion, JI Amir Sirajul Haq said that the revival of MMA aimed to resolve the prevailing political issues in the country. “The solution to all problems lies in Nizam-e-Mustafa (Sharia Law),” Haq asserted.

Meanwhile JUI-F’s Maualana Fazl invited the other religious parties to join the alliance which would launch a mass contact campaign after the announcement of names of its office bearers.

The coalition includes all previous parties which had been part of it, except Jamiat Ulema Islam-Sami (JUI-S). Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, the JUI-S chief had earlier announced to form an alliance with Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

MMA: Political alliance

The Muttahida Majlis–e–Amal (MMA), a political alliance consisting of far-right religious parties of Pakistan was formed before the 2002 general elections.

The alliance consolidated its position during the general elections in Pakistan held in 2002 during the rule of Pervez Musharraf. The MMA made provincial government in northwestern frontier province, which later renamed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and also remained in ruling coalition with PML-Q in Balochistan.

The alliance survived for a brief period after the JUI-F left the coalition over the political disagreement on the issue of boycotting the general elections held in 2008.