The once formidable Islamist Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal alliance is seeing fissures grow over issues like the expansion of the North Western Frontier Province cabinet, joining the federal government, and action against elements involved in razing a mosque in the NWFP province, insiders have informed. The central leadership had earlier agreed to give representation to all components in the NWFP government by taking one minister each from the four remaining parties – Samiul Haq’s Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam, Jamiat-e-Ulema Pakistan, the defunct Islami Tehrik and the Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith. So far only Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam and the Jamaat e-Islami have representation in the provincial cabinet.
| Only the big dogs are getting fed... |
But the formula could not be agreed upon as the JUI-F, which already had eight ministers, including the chief minister in the 15-man provincial cabinet, demanded four more slots. On the other hand, Maulana Samiul Haq’s JUI-S is reportedly demanding the MMA to either join the federal government ranks as a whole or at least allow its National Assembly members - Maulana Hamidul Haq and Maulana Abdul Aziz Shah - to accept slots in the cabinet being offered by the Zafarullah Jamali administration. Shah, it is learnt, is especially interested in joining the federal cabinet to compete with NWFP Chief Minister Akram Durrani of the rival JUI-F, as they belong to the same constituency. The MJAH has sought action against the JUI-F activists allegedly involved in razing a mosque in Butgram, NWFP, and its reconstruction. It is also critical of the alleged partiality of the NWFP government in the incident. The MMA Supreme Council meeting scheduled for March 5 in Islamabad will prove a stormy one if the JUI-S and the MJAH agreed to attend it. So far both the components are declining to participate in the session, demanding prior guarantees for acceptance of their demands.
| Seems like everything they do is "stormy," doesn't it? Y'think that might be part of the problem? |
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