The never ending split in MMA By Alya Alvi

Mullah Military Alliance: Allama Sajid Naquvi, Mawlana Samiul Haq, Mawlana Fazal ur Rahman, Mawlana Shah Ahmed Noorani and Qazi Hussain Ahmed.

The never ending split in MMA By Alya Alvi

THE Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal is heading towards further break-up as internal differences among the already reduced “six-party alliance” have posed major threat to its existence.

Despite truce on NSC issue between Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the ideological gulf between the two is fast widening. As frequent splits have already become a serious issue due to sole decisions taken by the two mainstream parties; especially Qazi-Baloch dominated Jamaat-e-Islami, more reasons are cropping up to bring the two heads at loggerheads.

Reports suggest that Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Fazlur Rehman have entered into yet another conflict since Maulana Sherani accepted chairmanship of National Assembly’s Standing Committee.

“Qazi has lodged a strong protest with Fazlur Rehman over Muhammad Khan Sherani’s acceptance of the office of chairman National Assembly’s Standing Committee of Ports and Shipping”.

It is said that Qazi, seeking explanation, also talked to Sherani and expressed great sense of resentment over his becoming chairman of the Standing Committee without taking him, being head of the alliance or the MMA parties, into confidence. “Sherani told Qazi that he obtained permission from Fazlur Rehman before accepting the office whereas Fazl, in his telephonic conversation, denied to have permitted him for the same.”

Qazi reminded Fazl and Sherani about the MMA and other opposition parties’ decision that they will not accept any office in the Standing Committees till the Government ensures allocation of the offices under the proportionate system. “Qazi Sahib takes the matter as a sheer violation of the party discipline.” However no disciplinary action is expected to be taken against Maulana Sherani following his position particularly in Balochistan where he is heading the MMA as well as JUI-F besides he has complete backing of Fazlur Rehman.

Maulana Sherani is the second from MMA who became chairman of a Standing Committee as JUI-S Chief Maulana Samiul Haq’s son, Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani is already holding such position. Qazi’s JI and Fazl’s JUI, the two major components of MMA, are already facing severe differences over the issue of participation of Chief Minister Akram Durrani in NSC and a final decision is still pending.

The JUI-F wants to ensure Durrani’s participation in NSC meetings whereas the JI has been left alone among the Majlis parties that are opposing such move since the council was established through an act of Parliament.

The MMA parties met on June 23 here in Islamabad to take up different issues including the NSC and maybe Sherani’s acceptance of chairmanship of the Standing Committee besides forming its general council.

Making of MMA (Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal) is really a great thing. But the initially formed six-party alliance has reduced to a two-party ‘marriage of convenience’. With the death of Allama Shah Ahmed Noorani MMA witnessed the demise of JUP’s active affiliation.

Allama Sajid Naqvi virtually declared to quit the alliance. Maulana Sajid Mir has withdrawn his party’s participation. JUI-F and JUI-S are at daggers drawn.

JUI-F itself has further developed differences from within. Hafiz Hussain Ahmed has ‘rebelled’ probably succumbing to JI tactics. Besides, the JUI-F in Balochistan functionally withdrew its support to JUI-F Central in joining the Qazi-led movement against President’s uniform.

Hafiz Hussain virtually ditched Maulana Fazl’s reconciliatory approach to have a peaceful political process in the country. It was the result of those splits with the MMA that the agitation, demonstrations, caravans and long marches ended in a futile exercise, as three parties JUI-S, MJAH and JUP-N were reluctant to join solo flight of JI and JUI-F.

The recent resignation of MMA Punjab Secretary General Syed Mahfooz Mashhadi also indicated the rifts within. Mashhadi alleged that MMA president and JI Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmed and MMA Secretary General and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman have created like-minded people in smaller parties of the alliance to easily impose their decisions.

“JI leaders hold their meetings on behalf of MMA and try to impose their decisions on the other parties. The provincial leadership of MMA was totally unaware about the decisions being taken in Central Shoora meetings of MMA” he said, adding “JI leader Hafiz Idrees who is also the provincial president of MMA did not take the provincial leadership of the alliance into confidence about the decisions of the supreme council of MMA.”

He disclosed that after two years Qazi Hussain Ahmed has now admitted that MMA’s decision about the support of 17th constitutional amendment was wrong.

Senator Maulana Samiul Haq of JUI-S parted ways with MMA due to latter’s role in helping the ruling Pakistan Muslim League in passing controversial 17th Amendment while Markazi Jamiat Ahle-Hadith chief Senator Professor Sajid Mir was also annoyed at MMA president Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Secretary General Maulana Fazlurrehman for passage of amendment.

Both the leaders have been ignoring the supreme council meetings of the MMA for a long time due to same reason. A central leader of JUP-N disclosed that small parties of religious alliance had reservation on the decision being taken by the central leadership of MMA.

However he said the central leadership was not bound to inform the provincial leadership about their decisions. According to sources Mashhadi resigned from the post of provincial secretary general due to cold attitude showed by the JI Punjab.

Hafiz Idrees Ahmed of JI was appointed as president MMA Punjab without taking into confidence other smaller parties who could not activate provincial chapter so far.

It is said that JUP-N central secretary general Gen. K M Azhar has constantly been interfering in the matters of JUP-N’s provincial chapter and creating a lobby in the party for not giving an opportunity to Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani’s son Maulana Anas Noorani to become president of the party.

Anas Noorani was reportedly not willing also because of the MMA leaders’ attitude towards his father.

Anecdote goes that in King Mamoon-ur-Rashid’s era two Hadith tellers once attended a Juma sermon at a mosque near Baghdad where the khateeb was narrating a Hadith, attributed to the Prophet [PBUH], through their source to which both the ravians strongly objected and vehemently denied having said that.

“Get off, you are not the only two with those particular names…there are a hundred Zaids and Bakrs”, was the reply. The Imam got them shunted out of the mosque.

The trend of “barha letay hein zeb-e-dastaan kay liey” goes on non-stop. The Ulema today are being wrongly dubbed as fundamentalists because in the fundamentals of al-Din there is nowhere to have the facts twisted, or utilize the opportunity to one’s own political ends. This is in sheer violation of “Why ye not do what ye do say?”

The bazaar of politics is infested with masquerading and mimicry, somersaults and gimmicks, telling lies and saving skins.

Machiavellian approach continues to prevail upon, come what may. The ulema who have thronged this bazaar are out to ‘Islamise’ the trade of politics to their self-aggrandizement and addiction of ‘leading’ the nation with the interpretations of their deeds on their own.

It is pardonable that some of them opposed the making of Pakistan, pleading that practising Islam needs no ‘independent’ State. But it is not pardonable to continue resisting the fundamental principles of Islam. Farooq Haider Maududi, Maulana Amin Ahsan Islahi, Dr Asrar Ahmed and the latest desertion in JI Naeem Siddqui speak volumes while exposing the Jamaat leadership for its somersaults.

Maulana Abul Ala’a Maududi, they say, had asked for not taking part in politics, but the vested interests allured it to low to resort to making headways in the gimmicks, no matter what the means could have been adopted.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman has gone down with the legacy. He justified the “marriages of convenience” with a number of alliances, friends and foes, even PPP.

Though cracks have split the Mufti-legacy today, the “marriage of convenience” goes on as a political norm. When they are asked they say in the religion it is forbidden but politics is something different. The contract of petroleum oil was a convenience and the alliance with the PPP was a marriage.●

© 2005 Alya Alvi

URL: http://pakistantimes.net/2005/07/03/oped3.htm