PESHAWAR: Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, who supervises Darul Uloom Haqqania, a religious seminary, is annoyed with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party after losing the last Senate election, his brother, Anwar-ul-Haq, told Arab News on Sunday.
Sami-ul-Haq’s Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-S) party has largely remained on good terms with PTI, creating an impression that the two political factions were willing to devise a seat adjustment mechanism ahead of the next general elections. However, despite receiving significant funds from the PTI administration in the name of mainstreaming religious seminaries in the province, members of JUI-S, including Maulana Sami-ul-Haq’s close relatives, say the alliance between the two parties could possibly be crumbling.
“We had an agreement on certain constituencies where we wanted to field JUI-S candidates. However, it seems that PTI is trying to grab those constituencies from us as well,” Sami-ul-Haq’s son, Hamid-ul-Haq, told Arab News.
“Our party has an option of joining Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal,” he added. “We can also side with Muttahida Deeni Mahaz (another alliance of religious parties). However, it will be our party Shoura that will determine our future course of action within the next ten days.”
Meanwhile, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq is recovering from heart surgery he recently underwent in Rawalpindi.
Asked if it was possible for JUI-S to leave PTI after getting significant funds from the latter, Hamid-ul-Haq said: “Fund release for madrassa (seminary) is a service to local people. My grandfather served this area. My father was a senator in the past, and a previous Pakistan Peoples Party-led government had also released funds for our seminary. No one should make an issue out of this.”
Sami-ul-Haq’s brother, Anwar-ul-Haq, also claimed that the alliance between the two parties was undergoing a rough patch. “Maulana Sahib (Sami-ul-Haq) was deeply hurt when he lost,” he said.
JUI-S spokesperson Maulana Yousaf Shah admitted that Sami-ul-Haq was not happy with the result of the Senate election and claimed: “It happened because lawmakers sold their votes in the Senate polls.”
Jamaat-e-Islami’s General Secretary in KP, Abdul Wasi, said the MMA would welcome Maulana Sami-ul-Haq in its fold if he decided to return to the religious alliance. “Our top leader, Siraj-ul-Haq, may soon visit Maulana Sami-ul-Haq to convince him to rejoin MMA,” he added.
MMA currently comprises five parties: Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam-Fazl, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan-Noorani, Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith and Tehreek-e-Fiqh-e-Jafaria.
PTI’s provincial assembly member, Qurban Ali Khan, admitted that there were issues between his party and JUI-S.
“It will create problems (for PTI) if Maulana Sami-ul-Haq rejoined MMA or parted way with PTI,” he admitted.
Prof. Dr. Zahid Anwar from the department of political science at the University of Peshawar, told Arab News that the MMA would try to convince Maulana Sami-ul-Haq to return to the alliance.
“Politics is the name of give and take,” he added. “If PTI wishes to be a JUI-S ally, it should compromise on some issues. Otherwise, it is likely that JUI-S will either join MMA or at least abandon PTI.”
He also said that PTI had a good vote bank, but the departure of JUI-S could negatively affect its performance in the coming elections.
Sami-ul-Haq’s party weighs MMA option as its alliance with PTI comes under pressure
Sami-ul-Haq’s party weighs MMA option as its alliance with PTI comes under pressure
