JUI not to honour APDM decision

ISLAMABAD: Maulana Fazlur Rehman of the JUI has refused to accept the APDM’s decision to boycott the polls, lodging a strong protest with the MMA and APDM leadership and threatening to quit both the alliances.

“All the JUI-F members have been asked to go ahead and file their nomination papers without paying any attention to the boycott call given by MMA President Qazi Hussain Ahmed,” sources told media.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman told the APDM leadership, including MMA President Qazi Hussain Ahmed, that he would not accept the decision as his party was not taken into confidence. He also described it as “a decision taken in haste”.

The JUI-F, despite being a component party, boycotted the APDM meeting held here on Saturday wherein it was collectively announced that the component parties would not take part in the elections if the government did not lift the state of emergency in the next four days.

Amongst the opposition parties, the JUI-F and Benazir Bhutto’s PPP are two parties that have announced to participate in the general elections, saying they could not leave the field open for those enjoying the backing of General Pervez Musharraf.

The JUI-F leaders say they would not boycott the elections till the PPP also joins the opposition.

In his contacts with Qazi Hussian Ahmed and the APDM leadership, Fazlur Rehman not only strongly protested over the boycott announcement but also told them that he would come up with a decision shortly whether or not to remain a part of the alliance since his party was being ignored in collective decisions.

“The APDM decision of boycott is not binding on our party though we have not closed this option,” JUI-F General Secretary Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said when contacted. Maulana Fazlur Rehman was not available for comment.

Haideri recalled that just two days back, the MMA Supreme Council, with Qazi Hussain Ahmed in the chair, had decided unanimously to file the nomination papers and go ahead till a collective decision on the part of the entire opposition was taken.

“We are unable to understand as to why Qazi Sahib and the APDM leaders are in such a hurry to boycott the elections.”

Haideri added: “We have conveyed our reservations to the APDM that we will not participate in its programmes till our demands, including an unconditional apology from Imran Khan, are met.”