The mistrust among component parties of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) is the biggest hurdle in the way of the restoration of the religio-political alliance.The two parties -- the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) -- who claim massive support among the religious groups, however, are not ready to trust each other.
In a recent meeting convened to take a decision on the revival of the alliance, the leaders of these parties quoted several incidents of the past and accused each other of defying unanimous decisions taken by the Central Executive Council of the MMA. Six religio-political parties representing various sects of the Muslims of the country had formed the MMA initially.
The Jamaat-e-Islami, the country's oldest religio-political party, claims to be the home of Muslims belonging to all sects, saying they are not representatives of any specific sect. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (Noorani) represents the Barelvi school of Sunnis.
"We are registered as the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) and do not add Noorani or any other name to it," said Qari Zawar Bahadur, the central secretary general of the party. Former National Assembly leader Fazlur Rehman-led JUI-F, and former senator Sameeullah-led Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sameeullah (JUI-S), represent the Deoband school of thought.
Professor Sajid Mir-led Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadith represents the Ahle Hadith (Wahabi) school of thought, while Allama Sajid Naqvi-led Pakistan Islami Tehreek represents Shias. About three years ago, the JUI-S quit the alliance over differences on policies, but the party's major contention was with Fazlur Rehman, as he refused to give more share in power to Sameeullah in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the MMA was ruling under Akram Durrani of the JUI-F.
To keep the number of parties at six, the alliance leaders allowed the entry of a new party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Senior (JUI-S).
The party represents the Deoband school of thought in Punjab and is headed by Maulana Abdur Raheem from Chakwal.
The other two, the JUI-F and the JUI-S, have a majority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The formation of this alliance has roots in the peace committees formed by the Punjab government in mid-1990s, when sectarian violence was at its peak.
The Shias and Sunnis and the Deoband school of Muslims were declaring each other Kafir (non-Muslim). The Shias were united under the banner of Sipah-e-Muhammad, while the other two, the Sipah-e-Sahaba and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, under Sunnis.
The groups were always in confrontation with each other and killings were at their peak.