PAKISTAN: AS ELECTIONS CLOSE RELIGIOUS PARTIES COULD HOLD THE BALANCE OF POWER IN A FUTURE COALITION GOVERNMENT

Record ID: 584866

  • Title: PAKISTAN: AS ELECTIONS CLOSE RELIGIOUS PARTIES COULD HOLD THE BALANCE OF POWER IN A FUTURE COALITION GOVERNMENT
  • Date: 12th October 2002
  • Summary: (W3) KARACHI, PAKISTAN (OCTOBER 11, 2002) (REUTERS) 1. SLV EXTERIOR OF A MOSQUE; SLV PEOPLE PRAYING IN MOSQUE (3 SHOTS) 0.22 2. MV PEOPLE COMING OUT OF MOSQUE AFTER PRAYERS; MV CHILD HOLDING BOOKS (3 SHOTS) 0.38 3. SOUNDBITE (Urdu) RAFIQ (AN ACCOUNTANT) SAYING "The U.S. is against Islam and for that reason it has always tried to harm Muslims. This party would Inshallah (if God permits) fight against USA's policies." 0.57 (W3) KARACHI, PAKISTAN (OCTOBER 11, 2002) (REUTERS) 4. SOUNDBITE (English) MEMBER OF THE JAMAAT-E-ISLAMI GROUP, MUNNAWAR HASAN, SAYING "The Afghan policy of the present government and their attitude towards the US is against the wishes of people of Pakistan, not only of Pakistan but of Afghanistan and the whole Ummah (Islamic Nation). So now in fact the people have given us the mandate and they have started correcting the government. They had been following a U-turn in the worst interest of Afghanistan and Pakistan. So in fact they should change their policy because we have got the mandate. The whole Afghan policy has been rejected." 1.31 5. MV RADICAL LEADERS CELEBRATING 1.38 (W3) ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (OCTOBER 12, 2002) (PTV - NO ACCESS PAKISTAN) 6. SCU ELECTION RESULTS BEING ANNOUNCED ON PAKISTAN TELEVISION (2 SHOTS) 2.25 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 27th October 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KARACHI, PAKISTAN
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Reuters ID: LVA2GWMDR7MELFZ67TKWSNYB41Y4
  • Story Text: Religious parties could hold the balance of power in a
    future coalition government, after exploiting anger at
    Pakistan's cooperation with the United States in its fight
    against the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan.

    The usually deeply divided religious parties in
    Pakistan campaigned on their opposition to the presence of
    U.S. forces in their country and military action against the
    Taliban.

    They also campaigned about restrictions on religious groups
    some of which are said by the West to have served as the
    breeding ground for the Taliban.

    After prayers on Friday (October 11), supporters of the
    hardline six-party Mutahidda Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) alliance,
    which virtually swept the board in the two provinces bordering
    Afghanistan, Baluchistan and North West Frontier Province
    (NWFP) said they expected the MMA to change current policy.

    "USA is against Islam and for that reason it has always
    tried to harm Muslims. This party would Inshallah (if God
    permits) fight against USA's policies," said Rafiq, an
    accountant.

    The MMA won 49 seats in the national assembly, compared to
    just two for its member parties in the 1997 elections.

    Munawar Hasan, General Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami, a
    member party of MMA, said the mandate won by MMA is proof that
    the people of Pakistan had rejected the pro-western Musharraf
    regime.

    "The Afghan policy of the present government and their
    attitude towards US is against the wishes of people of
    Pakistan, not only of Pakistan but of Afghanistan and the
    whole Ummah (Islamic Nation). So now in fact the people have
    given us the mandate and they have started correcting the
    government. They had been following a u-turn in the worst
    interest of Afghanistan and Pakistan. So in fact they should
    change their policy because we have got the mandate. The whole
    Afghan policy has been rejected", said Hasan in a news
    conference held in southern Karachi.

    Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999,
    has been fiercely criticised by political opponents and
    independent observers for seeking to manipulate the poll in
    his favour to produce a compliant 342-seat national assembly.


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