Forum Pakistan

Islamic Democratic Alliance (IDA, or Islami Jamhuri Ittehad, III)
Opposition party to Benazir *Bhutto's *Pakistan Peoples Party during the 1988 general elections. The principal parties united in the IDA were the *Pakistan Muslim League, * Jamaat-i-Islami and the National Pakistan People's Party of G.M. *Jatoi. The IDA was joined by the * Jamiat-ul-Ulema-i-Islam (A. Darkhwasti's group) and several parties mostly influential in the *Punjab: Jamiat-i-Ahl-i-Haditn (the Lakhvi group), Jamiat-i-Mashaiykb (led by Sajjada Nashin), Hizb-iJihad (led by A.M. Puya), the Azad group (led by Fakhr Imam), and * Khaksar Tehrik. The IDA's election manifesto promised to defend the rights and interests of the working people through merging all projects for the improvement of the people's living standards in one single agenda whose realization would make education, health services and old-age pensions accessible to everyone. The manifesto did not define the methods and means for the realization of these ideas. In the National Assembly, the IDA opposed Benazir Bhutto's government, actively supporting the political course of the Ziaul *Haq regime. In October 1990, the IDA won the elections to parliament.