LAHORE - The possibility of electoral alliance between Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf in KP and Punjab cannot be ruled out in next general election, a senior JI leader told The Nation on Monday.
Both the parties have held discussions at different level for the purpose in recent past and a meeting of senior leaders in this regard is also expected in near future.
The JI leader, who requested not to be named, said both parties are likely to make seat adjustment in various districts of Punjab and KP besides the joint contest likely at some Karachi seats.
The JI and the PTI will make seat adjustment at around 20 constituencies of National Assembly in Punjab, KP and Karachi and at 35 to 40 seats in provincial assemblies in three provinces.
Both the parties, which are allies in KP government, had not made seat adjustment in 2013 election, although they did not fought election jointly despite the JI’s approach to Imran Khan for the alliance.
JI spokesperson Ameerul Azeem is of the view that Jamaat can enter into the electoral alliance with any likeminded party in next election. About alliance with PTI, he said it was too early to predict about electoral alliance with any party. Jamaat-e-Islami is one the oldest Islamist party in the country with the ideology of Pan-Islam. It is also considered the most organised religio-political force in Pakistan.
In past, the party made alliances with different right wing parties including the PML-N and JUI-F, the powerful Deobandi organisation, but could not produce impressive results.
However, it won KP government in Parvez Musharraf tenure when the alliance of country’s religious forces in shape of Muthida Majlis-e-Amal swept election in frontier province. After split of MMA, following the end of Musharraf regime, the JI never won even 10 seats of national assembly in any election.
The JI leader, however, is hopeful this time and predicts that their party will give an impressive performance in next general election under leadership of energetic Sirajul Haq.
