The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) is ready to sacrifice its NWFP government and National Assembly seats if that is needed for all political parties to form a grand alliance against the Pakistan Muslim League and its dictatorship, said MMA leader Syed Munawar Hasan during a function arranged by the Media Elites Forum on Tuesday.
 | I'm obviously missing something here. To me, that'd be an incredibly stoopid move. |
Hasan, also the Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general, said the opposition parties were moving towards a consensus to form a grand alliance. He said the all partiesâ conference organised by the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) on August 11 had decided that a grand alliance was the âhourâs needâ. Replying to questions, the JI secretary general said PMLâs rigging of local council elections had highlighted the need for a grand alliance because it had united the opposition parties.
| "I mean, those elections hadda be rigged! We lost!" |
He said the opposition would sit together after August 25, the electionsâ second phase, and work out the aspects of forming the alliance and removing the present undemocratic regime. Hasan said the opposition would also decide in their meeting after August 25 whether to continue their roles in the district government. He said the MMA would discuss with other opposition parties if it should resign from the NWFP government, adding, âThe party is keeping all options open. We have tendered resignations in the past and are ready to sacrifice our seats for our ideals and policies.â
| "I guess you could think of it as one last, really big walk-out." |
| "Nonsense. We do not resign from Parliament, Parliament resigns from us." |
The MMA leader said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman would also support resigning from assemblies this time. He said, âRehman is a broken changed man after being deported from Dubai.â He added that the opposition had concluded that no more talks should be held with the government. |