The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was made the president of the newly revived Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA). Jamat-i-Islami (JI) leader Liaquat Baloch was selected as the new general secretary of the party.

Fazlur Rehman announced that all five parties under MMA will contest the 2018 general elections under one banner, one flag, and one manifesto. The manifesto will be announced in the first week of April.

MMA was revived on 13^th December last year with the merger of 5 parties: Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazal, Sirajul Haq’s Jamaat-i- Islami (JI), Allama Sajid Mir’s Jamiat Ahle Hadith (JAH) and Allama Sajid Naqvi’s Tehreek-i-Islami (TI).

The establishment needed the MMA following the US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan from where the Taliban were dislodged as rulers. In a way, the frontiers with Afghanistan were made friendly by installing MMA or pro-Taliban Government in KPK and Balochistan.

Thus there are least chances for Ulma and their followers in the religious parties are gaining majority and forming the Government. Presumably, the religious alliance is needed for two reasons—first to counter the US-India and Afghan alliance against Pakistan and also to counter the constant influence of two major secular parties of PML-N now ruling and the People’s Party.

Back in 2002, MMA was established by the establishment to fill the void created by the two major political parties PML-N and PPP after their leadership went to self-exile. The JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman has adopted an anti-establishment stance ever since the collapse of MMA in 2008 and sided with the PPP in 2008 and later with the PML-N in 2013. He has been close to anti-establishment groups like Hasil Bizenjo’s National Party (NP) and Mehmood Khan Achakzai’s PkMAP.

Political analysts believe that the establishment is not behind the MMA this time. It appears to be an internal strategy of the allied parties. MMA belongs to the Deoband school of thought and 2017 has seen a strong revival of the Barelvi school of thought. Pakistani politics has long been dominated by the Deobandis even though they are not in the majority. The reason for this is that Barelvis in Pakistan were never united under group and mostly consisted of individual peers who shifted alliances according to the need of time.

For the first time in the history of Pakistan, Barelvis have found a central leadership in the form of Tehreek-i-Labbaik (TLY) and the spectacle in Faizabad last year is a testimony of their strength. Their extraordinary performance in the by-elections also proved that the new group is here to stay. Other religious parties felt threatened by this Barelvi revival and sought to consolidate their own strength in the form of mergers and coalitions.

Most parties in the MMA have a divided but constant vote bank all over Pakistan. Uniting their vote banks will help them win more seats in the upcoming elections. Their merger also suggests that the leadership of JI and JUI-F is aware of the dynamics of the 2018 general elections. Political commentators are of the opinion that no party will be able to get a simple majority in the upcoming elections and the new government will be a coalition government. MMA will help its parent parties to be in a stronger position for the negotiations.

However, there is a strong need of political stability allowing all significant political forces to play their destined role in defending the integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan in this crisis which is more dangerous than we faced in 1971. There is need for a ‘collective wisdom’ to take the country out of the crisis.

Such serious issues should not be left for Imran Khan and Maulana Fazlur Rehman and tradition national and regional parties are allowed to play their role too in defending the legitimate interests of the people.

It is unfortunate that the Establishment developed a deep contempt towards the regional parties, mainly in Balochistan and KPK and denied them to play a positive role. They should not be pushed in the camps of adversaries on mere misleading presumptions.

Pakistan is a voluntary federation where the people of the Provinces are the rulers and not the public servants of different grades. It is in the legitimate interests of Pakistan that the regions, provinces and their people should also be taken in confidence in defending the country or making Pakistan a stable and prosperous Pakistan.