MMA doesn’t exist for elections from tribal region in KP and FATA

Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, it seems, to be allowing the member parties to contest Elections from tribal regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/FATA because Deobandi party JUI-F of Fazlur Rehman is opposed to FATA-KP merger and other allied parties including Deobandi Jamaat-e-Islami of the MMA supports the merger.

Due to these intra-MMA differences, a mechanism for distribution of tickets for 12 NA seats in Fata has so far not been worked out.
Sources said the JUI-F had proposed to other MMA members that as it and JI were poles apart on the issue of Fata merger, they all should contest elections in the tribal region on their own instead of from the MMA’s platform. They however said the JI rejected the proposal.
“The alliance’s supreme council will make a final decision on the proposal,” said an insider.
He said the JUI-F was against the merger of Fata with KP, while the JI favoured it like other political parties and therefore, the JUI-F was emphasising that the components of the alliance should contest polls independently.
The JUI-F had opposed the constitutional amendment for the merger of Fata with KP in the provincial assembly and parliament.
Five religious parties including the JUI-F, JI, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan-Noorani, Jamiat Ahle Hadees Pakistan (Sajid Mir group) and Tehreek-e-Islami are contesting elections from the MMA’s platform.
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami, whose leader was among the founders of the MMA, didn’t become part of the alliance and joined hands with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.