KARACHI, Jan 24: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Syed Munawwar Hasan on Tuesday reiterated his demand for an early election but kept the possibility regarding an alliance of right-wing parties in the upcoming polls undisclosed.

At the same time, the JI leader criticised his old ally, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazlur Rahman), for its recent political history.

“An early election is the only way out of the recent crises,” he said at a ‘Meet the Press’ event held at the Karachi Press Club. “The Constitution provides for such a demand. The government has proved to be a failure and it must announce an early election.”

Besides power, gas and other crises, Mr Hasan extensively criticised the Balochistan situation citing that the number of ‘missing persons’ in the least populated province was on the rise with each passing day.

He said those who raised their voice against such injustices were being killed. “Our policymakers and institutions should realise before it’s too late. The parties such as the Awami National Party that claim having a mandate of Pashto-speaking people remain silent over brutality against their people.”

He was of the opinion that the government’s slogan of reconciliation brought damage to the national political structure. “The allies blackmailed the ruling Pakistan People’s Party several times to dictate their terms.”

Mr Hasan said the demand for an early election showed public mistrust in the government. “The PPP promised a change but continued with General Musharraf’s policies,” he added.

“Considering its past record, we warn the government not to restore Nato supplies. If any such move is initiated on Feb 3 in the parliament, we will resist it and with force.”

When asked about the revival of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), the 2002 electoral alliance of religious parties, the JI chief avoided commenting openly and kept his reply brief.

“It will be discussed after the elections are formally announced. If such a thing happens, the situation in each province would be gauged and the alliance would automatically becomepublic. Nothing to hide on this matter,” he insisted.

In the 2002 election, the MMA had won the second-largest majority in the National Assembly with 58 out of 342 seats, as well as a provincial majority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly called the NWFP) and a provincial minority in Sindh and Balochistan.

With nearly half a dozen religious parties from different sects and schools of thought, leaders of the two major parties — JI and JUI-F — played a key role in organising and leading the alliance a decade ago.

However, the relations between the two parties have become strained in recent years.

“In the 2008 election, the anti-Musharraf regime parties under the All Parties Democratic Movement platform decided not to contest polls,” the JI chief responded to a query.

“But the PML-N and JUI-F violated that unanimous agreement and contested the polls. Maulana Fazal-ul-Rahman did not only contest the polls but also used the MMA electoral signfor that purpose, which is not appropriate by any means,” he added.