ISLAMABAD: PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is unhappy with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s contact with the party’s likeminded group president Salim Saifullah, conveying his reservations to the PPP central command, Pakistan Today has learnt.
A source in the PML-Q said Shujaat was disturbed over the PPP’s contacts with the likeminded group. “On one hand, a PPP minister asks us to join the ruling coalition and on the other, the prime minister engages the likeminded group, recognising them as a separate entity,” the source quoted Shujaat as saying.
He said Shujaat had told PPP leaders who were in constant contact with him that if the government treated likeminded group as a separate political entity, the power sharing talks between the PPP and the PML-Q could stall. “Shujaat has already refused to join the Muttahida Muslim League (MML) despite repeated requests by Mir Zafarullah Jamali, only because PML-F Chief Pir Pagara accepted the likeminded group as a separate political party,” he added.
The source added that the PML-Q had made up its mind to join the PPP-led coalition government in case the MQM pulled out from the alliance, but Gilani’s move had compelled the Chaudhrys to reconsider the half-baked deal.
Immediately after the JUI-F’s departure from the coalition government, Law Minister Babar Awan had contacted the Chaudhrys and again offered them to join the ruling coalition.
“Awan has been told that the PPP’s negotiations with the PML-Q dissident bloc will foil the PPP-PML-Q power-sharing deal,” the source said. Another PML-Q leader said the prime minister’s move was meant to scuttle power-sharing talks between the PPP and the PML-Q.
“A few days back, he threw the spanner in the works by appointing Hamid Yar Hirraj as the ERRA chief without taking the PML-Q leadership on board. The appointment had caused resentment among the PML-Q lawmakers, which created much trouble for the Chaudhrys,” he added.
“Shujaat has also decided to move references against likeminded MNAs under the anti-defection law if they violate party line in case of a no-trust move against the prime minister,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the likeminded group said Shujaat could not invoke the anti-defection clause, as “they have already challenged his party presidency in court”.
