Due to differences in transliteration, there exist a variety of English spellings for the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad, which has been translated into both the Islamic Democratic Alliance and the Islamic Democratic Front. For the purpose of this response, this coalition of parties will be referred to as the Islamic Democratic Alliance (IDA).

According to Keesing's, the IDA was formed in 1988 by the "Fida" faction of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML), which was led by Mr. Fida Muhammad Khan (Dec. 1988, 36347). The IDA included the Jamaat-i Islami (IJ), National People's Party (NPP), Jamiatul-Ulema-e Islam (Darkhwasty Group), Markazi Jamaat-i Ahle Hadith (Lakhvi Group), Jamaat-ul Mashaikh (Sahebzada Fazle Haq Group), Hizbe Jihad, Azad Group and Nizam-i Mustafa Group (ibid.). The IDA was a coalition of nine right-wing and Islamic parties that opposed the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), led by Benazir Bhutto, in the 1988 elections (Europa 1993, 2215). The Pakistan Muslim League's "Fida" faction and the "Junejo" faction, led by Mr. Muhammad Khan Junejo, later reunited in order to lead the IDA (Keesing's Dec. 1988, 36347).

In September 1991, the Hizb-e-Jihad was expelled from the IDA for associating with opposition parties (Political Handbook of the World 1992, 583). In March 1992 the National People's Party was dismissed from the IDA, and in May 1992 the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JIP) left the IDA in protest over the government's support of the Mujahidin government in Kabul, Afghanistan (ibid.; Europa 1994, 2289).

According to Europa 1993, the IDA, led by chairman Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, consisted of the following parties: the Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP), the Pakistan Muslim League (PML), the Islamic Ahle Hadith, the Jamaat-ul Mashaikh, the Azad Group, and the Nizam-i-Mustafa Group (1993, 2215). According to an AFP report dated 5 October 1993, the IDA broke apart during Sharif's reign.

For additional information on the IDA, please consult the attachments. Available at your Regional Documentation Centre, Europa 1994 and the following Responses to Information Requests provide background information on the IDA: PAK0637 of 12 April 1989, PAK1580 of 21 July 1989, PAK1411 of 24 July 1989, PAK3341 of 9 January 1990, and PAK3664 of 10 January 1990.

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Agence France Presse. 5 October 1993. "Pakistan's Electoral Battle: Will it End the Crisis." (NEXIS)

The Europa World Year Book 1994. 1994. 35th ed. Vol. 2. London: Europa Publications.

The Europa World Year Book 1993. 1993. 34th ed. Vol. 2. London: Europa Publications.

Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. December 1988. Vol. 34, No. 12. "Pakistan: Elections."

Political Handbook of the World: 1992. 1992. Edited by Arthur S. Banks. Binghamton, NY: CSA Publications.

Attachments

Agence France Presse. 5 October 1993. "Pakistan's Electoral Battle: Will it End the Crisis?" (NEXIS)

The Europa World Year Book 1994. 1994. 35th ed. Vol. 2. London: Europa Publications, pp. 2287-91.

The Europa World Year Book 1993. 1993. 34th. ed. Vol. 2. London: Europa Publications, p. 2215.

The Guardian [London]. 2 October 1993. Gerald Bourke. "Arsenic Scandal Threatens Former PM's Poll Chances." (NEXIS)

Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. December 1988. Vol. 34, No. 12. "Pakistan: Elections," p. 36347.

Reuters. 22 July 1994. BC Cycle. "Former Pakistan Spy Chief Jumps into Politics." (NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

AsiaWeek [Hong Kong]. Weekly. 1994.

Contemporary Religions: A World Guide. 1992.

Documentation, Information and Research Branch (DIRB), Immigration and Refugee Board, Ottawa. 1994. Pakistan: Standard Country File.

DIRB Indexed Media Review, "Pakistan."

India Today [New Delhi]. Bi-monthly. 1994.

Islam and Islamic Groups: A Worldwide Reference. 1992.

Religion in Politics: A World Guide. 1989.

On-line search of media sources.