Khan, right-wing cleric to prepare 'joint strategy' for polls

Right-wing religious party Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam led by Maulana Samiul Haq, known as the "father of Taliban", and Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf have agreed to formulate a "joint strategy" for the next elections.
The decision was made by the leaderships of the two parties at a meeting attended by Maulana Sami and Khan, the Dawn reported.
They agreed to continue consultations and contacts with each other so that they could come closer before the general elections in 2018, the paper reported, quoting a statement issued by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party yesterday.
"In the meeting, the leaderships of both the parties in principle agreed to continue consultative meetings to prepare a joint strategy for the next elections so that the two parties could jointly struggle to bring the country out of the present crises and difficulties," said the statement.

Maulana Sami, also known as the "father of Taliban", said the ideologies of the two parties had similarities and they could work together.
He praised the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government's "pro-Islamic steps" in the province. He said the country had been besieged by "enemies" and there was a need for a united struggle to face the current situation.

Maulana Sami also serves as the chairman of the Difa-e- Pakistan Council, an umbrella coalition of more than 40 groups, including Hafeez Saeed-led Jamat-ud Dawa (JuD) and the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had last year allocated Rs 300 million in the budget to Maulana Sami's madrassa Darul Uloom Haqqania in Akora Khattak in Nowshera.

The madrassa is known for having several top Afghan Taliban leaders among its alumni, including Mullah Omar who received an honorary doctorate from the seminary.
Haqqani Network founder Jalaluddin Haqqani, Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent leader Asim Umar and slain Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor were also among alumni of the seminary which is dubbed as the 'University of Jihad'.