ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's major religio-political forces agreed to transform Milli Yekjehti Council (MYC) into an electoral alliance.
An official handout following a session of the MYC stated that since most of the member parties of the council contest elections, it would be wise to use the same platform to contest the forthcoming elections.
It may be mentioned here that the MMA was an electoral alliance of six religious parties, including JUI-F, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), JUI-S headed by Difa-e-Pakistan Council’s (DPC) Chairman Samiul Haq, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP), Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith and Tehreek-e-Jafria Pakistan led by Sajid Naqvi.
Earlier, the DPC had decided not to become a part of the MMA and contest elections from the platform of the MYC. The DPC and MYC could form a larger alliance of religious political parties in case MYC goes on to contest elections from its own platform.
The handout also threatened the federal government of agitations if it fails to unmask the people who had changed the Khatam-e-Nabuwwat (PBUH) oath in the Election Reforms Bill 2017.
The handout demanded of the government to take action against Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid and Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, or face the music. It further urged the government to restore 7B and 7C clauses in the Constitution that block the election of Ahmadis to the National Assembly.
MYC Information Secretary Shaikh Yaqoob told Pakistan Today that though the MYC was a non-electoral alliance, but the religious leaders discussed the possibility of transforming it into an electoral alliance when he pitched the idea of transforming it into a political alliance.
He said that the meeting agreed that MMA was an electoral alliance of mere six parties and there was a need for a broad-based alliance of the religious parties.