ISLAMABAD - Some serious efforts are underway to reactivate Milli Yakjehti Council, a conglomeration of some 26 religious and religio-political parties, and to make it a formidable force to counter the challenges facing the people of Pakistan with Jamaat Islami (JI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) spearheading the move.
Background interviews and interaction with leaders of the parties in the fold of Milli Yakjehti Council bring to fore that there is a strong realisation among the religious and religio-political parties that the platform of Milli Yakjehti Council must be made a vibrant forum to not only discuss the matters relating to the Muslim Ummah but also come up with some solutions to the problems facing the people of Pakistan.
A JI leader strongly supporting the reactivation of Milli Yakjehti Council said that they could only exert pressure on government when they stand united.
To a question, he said that it is premature to say that MYC revival would pave the way for restoration of Muttahida Majlis-I-Amal, an alliance of religious and religio-political parties, which had shown extraordinary results in 2002 general elections and formed the government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa as well.
He further said that formation of electoral alliance is something different but definitely the activation of MYC would definitely bring the estranged religio-political parties closer and some electoral understanding between them could be made before the next general elections.
JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was seen active on this front, as he had not only held meeting with newly elected Jamaat Islami Ameer Sirajul Haq but also busy contacting heads of other member parties of MYC, including its president Shahibzada Abul Khair Zubair.
Jamaat Islami Central Leader Liaquat Baloch, currently holding the office of Secretary General of MYC, is also a strong supporter of making the body vibrant and active to meet the growing expectations of people from the religious and religio-political parties in the country.
Sources aware of the developments taking place on this front informed that the JUI-F leadership eager to reactivate the MYC with the aim to carve out an electoral alliance among the religio-political parties in future elections.
These sources said that actually Maulana Fazlur Rehman wanted to mend fences with Jamaat Islami and to make them agree on the revival of Muttahida Majlis-I-Amal the electoral alliance which had brought a great electoral victory for the religious forces in the country in 2002 general elections and provided JI and JUI-F to form government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa.
The alliance could not sustain for next general elections due to serious differences between the JI and JUI-F over host of issues mainly on the issue of boycott of 2008 elections.
Later JUI-F chief had made several attempts to revive the alliance because JUI-F could not repeat the unprecedented victory of 2002 elections without the support of JI.
On the other hand, the then JI Ameer Qazi Hussain Ahmad, realising the importance of his party particularly in KP, had set hard terms for revival of MMA, including the resignations of JUI-F members from the Parliament the condition not acceptable to Maulana Fazl
But now once again both the parties have realised the significance of unity among the religio-political parties, particularly the alliance between JI and JUI-F would transform it into a winning combination at least in KP, and definitely this point is in the mind of the leadership of both these parties while making attempt to reactivate MYC which would level ground for an electoral alliance among the religious and religio-political forces before the next general elections.