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For the first time in Pakistan's history, some fundamentalist outfits have come together in a bid to gain political legitimacy through the October 10 elections.
Though Pakistanis have traditionally ignored them, these religious elements hope to exploit resentment stemming from the US invasion in Afghanistan and President Gen Pervez Musharraf's crackdown on religious extremists to win some seats in the national assembly.
Some such parties led by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) have come together to contest the elections under the banner of the Mutehidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA).
It claims to enjoy the support of all religious elements in the country, including Taliban supporters based in northern Pakistan.
The MMA believes that millions of students in madrassas (religious seminaries) unhappy with Musharraf's campaign against 'terrorist' elements in madrassas, arrest of hundreds of religious leaders, banning of a number of religious organizations, which were active in Afghanistan and Jammu and Kashmir, would vote for its candidates.
The Jamaat-e-Islami led by Qazi Hussain Ahmed hopes to gain the legitimacy that it has long sought with a good showing during this election.
The party has a significant presence in urban areas, specially Karachi where it hopes to give the well-entrenched Muttehida Quami Movement a run for its money.
So far, the MQM has been having a free run of the southern port city. It has 20 seats in the 342-member national assembly.
One of the major constituents of the MMA is the Jamiet Ulma-e-Islam headed by Maulana Fazal-ur-Rahman, an ardent supporter of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan.
Rahman's party has a strong presence in Baluchistan and the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), which border Afghanistan and host most of the two million Afghan refugees. People in these two provinces are vociferous opponents of the presence of US forces in the neighbourhood.
Since the last three months, they have been further annoyed by the massive joint operations launched by the Pakistan army and US intelligence agents to search for members of the Al Qaeda and Taliban in the two provinces.
People have not stopped at expressing their feelings with mere words leading to several armed clashes with the Pakistani army.
The MMA hopes to cash in on this resentment.
Most political analysts in Pakistan believe that if the MMA gets even 20 seats, it would be a cause for concern for the US, which is trying to persuade Musharraf to curb the influence of religious sentiments in Pakistan.
"Pakistanis have never voted for religious elements since the birth of the country in 1947," said Saad Mateen, a political analyst.
However, the MMA hopes to change that and has fielded 186 candidates across the country.
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