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MMA abandons hardline stance, promises to be flexible

K J M Varma in Islamabad

Abandoning its hardline stance the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, alliance of six religious parties in Pakistan, has said it is willing to accept Pervez Musharraf's presidency and promised to be flexible on the presence of American troops, constitutional changes, and Islamic laws.

The MMA's prime ministerial nominee Maulana Fazlur Rehman said he is ready to work with Musharraf if he continued as president. "We will practically show that we can work together," he told reporters in Lahore on Sunday.

He said the MMA had won a popular mandate to review the 29 constitutional amendments brought in by President Musharraf and they would take 'realities' into account during the review, adding that it was not up to one person to amend the country's constitution.

He said the parliament would analyse and approve amendments that are needed and will re-fashion or reject those that are against the spirit of democracy.

Referring to the expulsion of US troops from Pakistani airbases, Rehman said, "We have made our position very clear, that we can root out terrorism on our own and we do not need anybody's help... as for whether the Americans stay or leave our airbases, you should ask them."

Warning that any government formed without the MMA would not last long, Rehman said the religious parties were more closer to the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League, Quaid-e-Azam, as compared to the Benazir Bhutto backed Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians.

He said it was important that the MMA be given a chance to rule the country so that apprehensions of the Western world about Pakistan's religious forces could be eliminated. "The MMA has brought the elements considered extremist towards democracy and if the MMA is denied [the opportunity] to rule the country these elements will return to extremism," he said.

About fears of the West that the MMA's rule would cut Pakistan off from the rest of the world, Rehman said the alliance would follow a balanced foreign policy fashioned by the local people and not an imported one.

He also said that foreign investigators could come to Pakistan if their [Western] interests are attacked.

On the implementation of the Islamic Ideology Council's recommendations, he said, "They would be considered within the framework of the Constitution."

Commenting on whether co-education should be banned, Rehman said "For us education is important and co-education is not a major issue right now."

More reports from Pakistan

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